Mechanics of the arterial wall: review and directions

The goals of this article are threefold: to briefly review the theory of finite elasticity and its application to arterial mechanics; to review what is known about the mechanical behavior of arteries in health and disease; and to review several clinically relevant aspects of arterial mechanics, as for example, aging, aneurysms, angioplasty, embolectomy, heat therapies, hypertension, trauma, and the disruption of atherosclerotic plaques. It is shown that, despite a huge literature on arterial mechanics, much remains unknown. In particular, a pressing need exists for detailed nonlinear three-dimensional constitutive relations for the passive and active arterial wall as a function of position along the arterial tree and disease. Arterial mechanics has, therefore, yet to reach its full potential as an important and consistent contributor to vascular medicine and surgery, but the possibilities remain great.