Effects of parent artery segmentation and aneurismal-wall elasticity on patient-specific hemodynamic simulations

Abstract

It is well known that hemodynamics and wall tension play an important role in the formation, growth and rupture of aneurysms. In the present study, the authors investigated the influence of parent artery segmentation and aneurismal-wall elasticity on patient-specific hemodynamic simulations with two patient-specific cases of cerebral aneurysms. Realistic models of the aneurysms were constructed from 3-D angiography images and blood flow dynamics was studied under physiologically representative waveform of inflow. For each aneurysm three computational models were constructed: Model 1 with more extensive upstream parent artery with the rigid arterial and aneurismal wall, Model 2 with the partial upstream parent artery with the elastic arterial and aneurismal wall, Model 3 with more extensive upstream parent artery with the rigid wall for arterial wall far from the aneurysm and the elastic wall for arterial wall near the aneurysm. The results show that Model 1 could predict complex intra-aneurismal flow patterns and wall shear stress distribution in the aneurysm, but is unable to give aneurismal wall deformation and tension, Model 2 demonstrates aneurismal wall deformation and tension, but fails to properly model inflow pattern contributed by the upstream parent artery, resulting in local misunderstanding Wall Shear Stress (WSS) distribution, Model 3 can overcome limitations of the former two models, and give an overall and accurate analysis on intra-aneurismal flow patterns, wall shear stress distribution, aneuri-smal-wall deformation and tension. Therefore we suggest that the proper length of extensive upstream parent artery and aneuri-smal-wall elasticity should be considered carefully in establishing computational model to predict the intra-aneurismal hemodynamic and wall tension.