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Updated: Jul 17, 2025

Three-dimensional Rendering and Analysis of Immunolabeled, Clarified Human Placental Villous Vascular Networks
Published on: March 29, 2018
A review of feto-placental vasculature flow modelling
Joanna Chappell1, Rosalind Aughwane2, Alys R Clark3
1School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences (BMEIS), King's College, London, UK.
The placenta provides the vital nutrients and removal of waste products required for fetal growth and development. Understanding and quantifying the differences in structure and function between a normally functioning placenta compared to an abnormal placenta is vital to provide insights into the aetiology and treatment options for fetal growth restriction and other placental disorders. Computational modelling of blood flow in the placenta allows a new understanding of the placental circulation to be obtained. This structured review discusses multiple recent methods for placental vascular model development including analysis of the appearance of the placental vasculature and how placental haemodynamics may be simulated at multiple length scales.
The placenta provides the vital nutrients and removal of waste products required for fetal growth and development. Understanding and quantifying the differences in structure and function between a normally functioning placenta compared to an abnormal placenta is vital to provide insights into the aetiology and treatment options for fetal growth restriction and other placental disorders. Computational modelling of blood flow in the placenta allows a new understanding of the placental circulation to be obtained. This structured review discusses multiple recent methods for placental vascular model development including analysis of the appearance of the placental vasculature and how placental haemodynamics may be simulated at multiple length scales.
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