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[Cardiovascular physiology. Elasticity and viscoelasticity of the circulatory system. I. Physical basis. II.
1Instituto de Fisiologia da Faculdade de Medicina de Lisboa.
Insights
This review explores the viscoelastic properties of blood vessels and heart muscle, detailing arterial mechanics, elasticity, and the impact of viscoelasticity on pulse waves.
Area of Science:
- Biophysics
- Cardiovascular Physiology
- Materials Science
Context:
- The mechanical behavior of vascular walls and myocardium is complex, exhibiting viscoelastic properties.
- Understanding these properties is crucial for analyzing circulatory system dynamics.
Purpose:
- To review the fundamental concepts of elasticity and viscoelasticity in the circulatory system.
- To detail the elastic and viscoelastic properties of arterial walls and their consequences.
- To present theories for quantifying these mechanical behaviors.
Summary:
- Analyzes arterial stress and strain, defining static elastic modulus, stiffness (elastance), and compliance (capacitance).
- Explains dynamic or viscoelastic modulus and stiffness, crucial for understanding arterial wall behavior under varying conditions.
- Describes phenomena like creep, stress relaxation, hysteresis, and pulse wave dispersion/attenuation.
Impact:
- Provides a foundational understanding of the physical and biophysical basis of cardiovascular mechanics.
- Enhances comprehension of arterial wall behavior and its implications for blood flow dynamics.
- Offers insights into phenomena affecting pulse wave propagation and attenuation within the arterial system.
Abstract:
The vascular walls and the myocardium have the mechanical behaviour of viscoelastic materials. This paper consists in the first two parts of a review on elasticity and viscoelasticity in the circulatory system. The main elastic and viscoelastic properties of the arterial walls and some of its consequences are studied and some of its quantification theories are exposed, proceeded by the Physical and Biophysical basis necessary to the understanding of phenomena concerned in the totality of the work. Arterial stress and strain are analysed and the notions of arterial static elastic modulus, stiffness or elastance and compliance or capacitance such as the concepts of dynamic or viscoelastic modulus and stiffness are developed. Creep, stress relaxation, histeresis and pulse waves dispersion and atenuation effects are described.