A 2D Model With Fluid-Structure Interactions for Coarctated Arteries

Arterial coarctation especially that occurs in aorta is an extremely significant health problem. Though it is a result of numerous factors, hemodynamics factors and biomechanical forces have been widely accepted as the key roles in its mechanism, development, and complication. In this study, a 2D model, which incorporates fluid-structure interaction (FSI), has been developed. We investigated the flow field and stress field for coarctation with different lengths and severities. The results show that the existence of coarctation will generate higher velocity at the coarctation region. The severity has great effect on the peak velocity while the length effect is slight. Coarctated vessels demonstrate less distensibility than health vessel by comparing the radial expansion displacement. The stress distribution also has significant variation among health vessel and the series of diseased vessels. The results from this investigation suggest that coarctation inhibit wall motion, resulting in higher blood velocities and higher peak wall stress than health vessel. These factors may contribute to further development and other complications.