Influence of surrounding tissues on biomechanics of aortic wall

The present study investigates effects of surrounding tissues and non-uniform wall thickness on the biomechanics of the thoracic aorta. We construct two idealised computational models exemplifying the importance of surrounding tissues and non-uniform wall thickness, namely the uniform-thickness model and the histology image-based model. While the former neglects a connective tissue layer surrounding the aorta, the latter takes it into account with non-uniform wall thickness. Using plane strain finite element analysis, stress distributions in the aortic media between the two models are compared. The histology image-based model substantially enhances the uniformity of stress throughout the aortic media. Furthermore, the altered mechanical properties of surrounding tissues change the stress distribution. These results suggest that surrounding tissues and non-uniform wall thickness should be included in biomechanical analysis to better understand regional adaptation of the aortic wall during normal physiological conditions or pathological conditions such as aortic aneurysms and dissections.