Modelling the arterial wall by finite elements.

AbstractThe mechanical behaviour of the arterial wall was determined theoretically utilizing some parameters of blood flow measured in vivo. Continuous experimental measurements of pressure and diameter were recorded in anesthetized dogs on the thoracic ascending and midabdominal aorta. The pressure was measured by using a catheter, and the diameter firstly, at the same site, by a plethysmograph with mercury gauge and secondly, by a sonomicrometer with ferroelectric ceramic transducers. The unstressed radius and thickness were measured at the end of each experiment in situ. Considering that the viscous component is not important relatively to the non-linear component of the elasticity and utilizing several equations for Young modulus calculation (thick and thin wall circular cylindrical tube formulas and Bergel's equation) the following values were obtained for this parameter : 0.6 MPa-2 MPa in midabdominal aorta and 2 MPa-6.5 MPa in thoracic ascending aorta. The behaviour of the aorta wall was modelled c...