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Updated: Jul 23, 2025
Optical Coherence Tomography Based Biomechanical Fluid-Structure Interaction Analysis of Coronary Atherosclerosis Progression
Published on: January 15, 2022
Using computed tomography angiography and computational fluid dynamics to study aortic coarctation in different arch
Jinjie Qin1, Da Ouyang2, Taocui Yan3
1Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Pediatrics, Chongqing, China.
Children with aortic coarctation (CoA) and gothic aortic arches show altered arch morphology and hemodynamics. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) reveals high, turbulent flow in gothic arches, impacting aortic development.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Imaging
- Pediatric Cardiology
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Aortic coarctation (CoA) is a congenital heart defect affecting aortic arch development.
- Variations in aortic arch morphology, such as gothic, crenel, and romanesque arches, may influence hemodynamics in children with CoA.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare computed tomography angiography (CTA) imaging characteristics of gothic, crenel, and romanesque aortic arches in children with CoA.
- To apply computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to evaluate hemodynamic changes in children with gothic aortic arches and CoA.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of CTA data from 95 children with CoA, categorizing aortic arch morphology.
- Quantitative comparison of arch dimensions (D1-D5/AOA, AAO-DAO angle, TAO-DAO angle, A/T ratio) among the three arch types.
- CFD modeling to assess pressure gradients and flow patterns in children with gothic arches.
Main Results:
- Significant differences observed in D3/AOA, D4/AOA, D5/AOA, AAO-DAO angle, and A/T ratio among the arch types (P < 0.05).
- Gothic arches exhibited smaller D4/AOA and D5/AOA compared to crenel arches, and smaller D3/AOA and D5/AOA compared to romanesque arches.
- CFD indicated a significant pressure drop (58 mmHg) and high, turbulent flow in the isthmus and descending aorta of children with gothic arches.
Conclusions:
- Gothic aortic arches are prevalent in CoA and associated with altered aortic arch dimensions and potentially adverse effects on aortic development.
- CFD is a valuable tool for assessing hemodynamic alterations in pediatric CoA patients with varying aortic arch morphologies.
