Compliance mismatch may promote graft-artery intimal hyperplasia by altering suture-line stresses

The role of graft-artery compliance mismatch in the development of distal anastomotic intimal hyperplasia (DAIH) is not yet resolved. Although DAIH develops at all surgically created anastomoses, increased compliance mismatch does not lead to greater hyperplasia formation in end-to-end anastomoses, but in end-to-side anastomoses, it leads to a profound increase in hyperplasia. The current study was undertaken to determine whether suture-induced anastomotic stresses could explain these findings. A large strain finite element analysis of vascular wall mechanics was performed to compare the influence of compliance mismatch on intramural stresses in end-to-end versus end-to-side anastomoses. A novel modelling approach was implemented which includes suture-induced stress concentrations. End-to-end and end-to-side graft-artery simulations were executed using (1) artery (compliance = C = 0.44% kPa(-1)), (2) vein (C = 0.33% kPa(-1)), and (3) Dacron (C = 0.14% kPa(-1)) grafts. Residual stresses due to axial tension were included and the anastomoses were statically inflated to 13.3 kPa (100 mmHg). Elevated intramural stresses were found to exist at both the end-to-end and end-to-side graft-artery junctions; however, in the end-to-end anastomosis, the maximum anastomotic stress was not a function of the graft compliance, whereas in the end-to-side anastomosis, the maximum stress was a strong function of graft compliance. For the 45 degree end-to-side geometry considered in this study, the maximum anastomotic stress concentration obtained using a stiff Dacron graft was more than 40% greater than that obtained using a compliant artery graft. In the end-to-end anastomosis, the Dacron graft led to a less than 5% increase in maximum stress over the artery graft. Therefore, increased compliance mismatch increases stresses and promotes DAIH in end-to-side junctions, but, it has little influence on either stresses or DAIH in end-to-end junctions. Thus, the proliferative influence of increased compliance mismatch on suture-line hyperplasia in end-to-side anastomoses can be explained by the resulting increase in intramural stresses. In addition, since high stresses were found in both geometries, elevated suture-line intramural stresses may be an important proliferative stimulus for intimal hyperplasia formation in all vascular reconstructions.