Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 25, 2025

A Magnetic Resonance Imaging-based Computational Protocol for Analysis of Plaque Morphology and Hemodynamics in Patients with Carotid Artery Stenosis
09:36

A Magnetic Resonance Imaging-based Computational Protocol for Analysis of Plaque Morphology and Hemodynamics in Patients with Carotid Artery Stenosis

Published on: August 12, 2025

472

Vertebral Artery Stenoses Contribute to the Development of Diffuse Plaques in the Basilar Artery

Yundi Feng1,2, Jian Liu3, Tingting Fan1

  • 1Department of Mechanics and Engineering Science, College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, China.

Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology
|March 27, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Vertebral artery stenosis, particularly in the basilar artery, increases stroke risk. High wall shear stress gradients predict transient ischemic attacks and posterior infarctions, especially in tandem stenosis.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Medical Imaging
  • Biomedical Engineering

Background:

  • Vertebral artery (VA) stenosis is a significant risk factor for recurrent stroke.
  • The basilar artery (BA) is a common site for intracranial atherosclerotic lesions.
  • Identifying predictive risk factors for transient ischemic attack (TIA) and posterior infarctions is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the morphometry and hemodynamics of intracranial vertebral and basilar arteries.
  • To enhance risk assessment for stroke and related events in patients with VA stenosis.
  • To correlate hemodynamic factors with the incidence of TIA or posterior infarctions.

Main Methods:

  • Reconstruction of geometrical models from CTA images of 343 patients.
  • Utilization of a transient three-dimensional computational model to determine hemodynamics.
  • Classification of patients into symmetric, asymmetric, hypoplastic, and stenotic groups, with further subdivision of stenotic cases.

Main Results:

  • Patients with bilateral, bifurcation, and tandem stenotic sub-groups exhibited significantly lower basilar artery diameters.
  • The overall stenotic group showed significantly higher surface area ratio (SAR) of high time-averaged wall shear stress gradient (TAWSSG) and increased TIA/posterior infarction incidence.
  • The tandem stenotic sub-group presented the highest SAR-TAWSSG (57 ± 22%) and TIA/posterior infarction incidence (54%).

Conclusions:

  • High SAR-TAWSSG is a significant predictor for inducing TIAs or posterior infarctions.
  • Morphometric and hemodynamic analysis of intracranial VA and BA can improve stroke risk stratification.
  • Tandem stenosis in the VA is associated with the highest hemodynamic stress and clinical event rates.

Keywords:
computed tomography angiographydiffuse artery diseaseposterior circulationstenosisvertebrobasilar disease

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