High Resolution Strain Analysis Comparing Aorta and Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm with Real Time Three Dimensional...

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Cardiovascular Imaging
• Medical Ultrasound

Background:

• Aortic aneurysm screening relies on diameter measurement, but biomechanical analysis offers deeper insights into aortic wall health.
• Understanding individual elastic properties and pathological changes is crucial for managing aortic aneurysms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze local aortic wall motion and deformation using four-dimensional ultrasound (4D-US).
• To assess biomechanical properties of the aorta in relation to age and the presence of aneurysms.
• To identify imaging biomarkers for characterizing aortic wall pathology.

Main Methods:

• Sixty-five patients were evaluated using 4D-US, categorized into young normal aorta, old normal aorta, and infrarenal aortic aneurysm groups.
• Local, temporally resolved wall strain was determined from diastolic reference shapes.
• Indices characterizing wall strain distribution were calculated.

Main Results:

• Circumferential strain became more heterogeneous and dyssynchronous with increasing age.
• Younger patients showed higher mean strain amplitude compared to older or aneurysmal aortas.
• 4D-US strain parameters, including spatial heterogeneity and local strain ratio, differentiated between non-aneurysmal and aneurysmal aortas, irrespective of age.

Conclusions:

• 4D-US strain imaging provides high-resolution characterization of infrarenal aortic wall kinematics.
• Functional differences in aortic wall motion are discernible between young, old, and aneurysmal aortas.
• This technique offers a new perspective for individualized patient characterization and potential rupture risk stratification of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs).