Constitutive Modelling of Lamb Aorta

Abstract

Vascular inflammation is an established marker of cardiovascular pathogenesis, particularly atherosclerosis, but its role on arterial tissue biomechanics is not well understood. Its impact on the biomechanics of the aorta can yield valuable data for elucidating its role in disease formation, as well as leading to the development of valuable predictive models for surgery and new treatments. Changes in arterial biomechanics can lead to arterial remodelling and dysfunction, and so its quantification can provide insight into the nature of inflammatory processes. To gain further insight into these processes we investigated the biomechanical behaviour of lamb aortas from inflamed and control groups through the development of a constitutive model. The development of reliable constitutive models of the artery is necessary in order to fully understand the mechanical component of cardiovascular disease pathogenesis and vascular remodelling.