Assessment of pressure drop flowrate relationship of axillobifemoral bypass grafts

An in vitro study was conducted to measure the pressure distributions in knitted polyester axillobifemoral bypass grafts under steady and pulsatile flow of a Newtonian fluid. The relationship between pressure drop and flowrate was determined across the outflow branches of two types of axillobifemoral grafts. Pressure losses were greater across the 90 degrees side branch of the T-type graft than in the Y-type graft at all Reynolds numbers studied. Mean pulsatile pressure drops in the T graft were greater than those measured in steady flow at the same Reynolds number. Estimates of the likely in vivo pressure drops are made under resting and exercise flow conditions. It is suggested that the Y graft is less likely to have a significant effect on blood supply to the lower limbs, even at high blood flowrates.