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Understanding Atherosclerosis Pathophysiology: Can Additive Manufacturing Be Helpful?
Joana Henriques1, Ana M Amaro1, Ana P Piedade1
1CEMMPRE-Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Coimbra, 3030-788 Coimbra, Portugal.
Polymers
|February 11, 2023
Summary
Investigating the biomechanics of atherosclerosis is challenging due to unstandardized testing. This review explores mechanical characterization and additive manufacturing for better understanding and biomodel creation for atherosclerosis.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Cardiovascular Research
- Materials Science
Background:
- Atherosclerosis is a major global cause of mortality, necessitating improved understanding of its biomechanical aspects.
- Current biomechanical investigations of atherosclerotic tissues suffer from unstandardized tests and variable results, hindering progress.
- A unified understanding of mechanical properties in healthy and diseased vessels is crucial for developing accurate biomodels.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the pathophysiology and consequences of atherosclerosis.
- To discuss the challenges and current state of mechanical characterization of atherosclerotic vessels and plaques.
- To introduce additive manufacturing (3D printing) as a viable strategy for creating relevant atherosclerotic vascular biomodels.
Main Methods:
- Literature review focusing on atherosclerosis, biomechanical testing of vascular tissues, and additive manufacturing techniques.
- Synthesis of existing research on the mechanical properties of healthy and atherosclerotic arterial walls and plaques.
- Exploration of the application of 3D printing in fabricating vascular biomodels.
Main Results:
- Significant variability exists in current methods for assessing the mechanical properties of atherosclerotic tissues.
- Standardized biomechanical evaluation is lacking, impeding direct comparison of research findings.
- Additive manufacturing offers a promising avenue for rapid fabrication of patient-specific or representative atherosclerotic vascular models.
Conclusions:
- Standardized biomechanical characterization of atherosclerotic vessels is essential for advancing research and clinical applications.
- Additive manufacturing holds significant potential for creating realistic vascular biomodels for surgical training and planning.
- Further research integrating biomechanics and additive manufacturing can enhance the understanding and treatment of atherosclerosis.
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