Deciphering ascending thoracic aortic aneurysm hemodynamics in relation to biomechanical properties

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Science
• Biomedical Engineering
• Fluid Mechanics

Background:

• Ascending thoracic aortic aneurysm (ATAA) is a complex condition leading to potential death.
• Individual factors fail to explain ATAA heterogeneity, necessitating analysis of multifactorial interplay.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate hemodynamic disruptions in ATAA by integrating patient-specific computational hemodynamics and in vivo aortic stiffness.
• To decipher ATAA hemodynamic complexity and its relation to near-wall topological features.
• To identify links between arterial wall degeneration and hemodynamic insult.

Main Methods:

• Patient-specific computational hemodynamics integrated with CT-based in vivo aortic stiffness estimation.
• Application of wall shear stress (WSS) topological skeleton analysis and Complex Networks theory.
• Comparative analysis between ATAA and healthy aorta hemodynamics.

Main Results:

• Distinct spatiotemporal hemodynamic heterogeneity in ATAA compared to healthy aortas, reflected in WSS topological skeletons.
• A significant link identified between variations in WSS-induced endothelial action and ATAA wall stiffness.
• WSS topological skeleton features show promise as indicators of local arterial degeneration.

Conclusions:

• Advanced analytical methods are crucial for understanding ATAA hemodynamic disruption.
• WSS topological skeleton analysis offers novel insights into ATAA pathophysiology.
• Identified WSS features may serve as predictive biomarkers for localized arterial wall degeneration in ATAA.