Numerical modelling of fracture in human arteries

We present 3D finite element models of atherosclerotic arteries, used to investigate the influence of the geometry and tissue properties on the plaque rupture caused by overexpansion. We adopted a geometry reconstructed from a contiguous set of in vitro magnetic resonance images of a damaged artery. The artery wall is divided in three layers (adventitia, media and intima) and is discretized into tetrahedral finite elements. The artery material is described with a hyperelastic two-fiber anisotropic model proposed by Holzapfel et al. 2000. A new constitutive framework for arterial wall mechanics and a comparative study of material models. J Elasticity 61(1):1-48, while the plaque is assumed to be transversely isotropic. Cracks induced by mechanical actions are represented through cohesive surfaces, and are allowed to develop along solid elements boundaries only. Fractures are explicitly introduced in the discretized model at the locations where the tensile strength of the material is reached.