Mechanical compression of small coronary vessels during the cardiac cycle

Intramyocardial stresses appear to be an important factor in the degree of compression of the coronary vasculature, directly influencing the peripheral impedance of the coronary hemodynamic network. A method is presented for predicting variation in the luminal area of small vessels embedded in myocardial tissue, due to changes in surrounding stresses. Such stresses and strains were calculated as those generated in the wall of a cylindrical structure, a model of the cardiac ventricular wall. Based on the classical theory of linear elasticity and assumptions of superposition of strains generated within the medium by the cyclic variation of tissue pressure and fiber stress, changes in the inner cross-section area of microvessels were computed. Applied to coronary microvasculature, it was shown for the range of tested parameters that these microvessels are not likely to be subjected to instability phenomena and subsequent collapses, but rather show a small change in area. These results are in agreement with physiological observations concerning the degree of area reduction in arterioles and venules localized within the endocardial portion of the left ventricular wall. Based on this theory, analysis of variations in distensibility, compliance and resistance of microvessels, such as arterioles and venules, vs. internal pressure, and different cardiac states and locations within the myocardial wall is possible.