This paper investigates the effect on torso potentials of changes in the ma
terial properties of the torso volume conductor and changes in the relative
geometry of the heart and torso. The investigations are performed using a
number of forward simulations with a high-order coupled finite element/boun
dary clement torso model. This torso model contains descriptions of the epi
cardium, lungs, skeletal muscle (with a continuously varying fiber field) a
nd subcutaneous fat. The number of nodes, elements and solution degrees-of-
freedom used in the computational torso model are considerably smaller than
previous torso models of similar complexity. The successful forward simula
tions in this paper hence demonstrate the use of the high-order coupled app
roach with realistic problems. The results of the torso simulations show th
at the torso inhomogeneities do affect the torso potentials but do not affe
ct the distribution or pattern of the torso potentials. The inhomogeneities
considered are found to have a varying, but important, effect on the torso
potentials. The effect of the subcutaneous fat is found to be more importa
nt and the effect of the skeletal muscle is found to be less important than
previous reports in the literature. The results also show that the relativ
e geometry of the heart and torso is very important in determining the tors
o potential magnitudes and distributions. (C) 2000 Biomedical Engineering S
ociety. [S0090-6964(00)00407-0].