Growth description for vessel wall adaptation : a thick-walled mixture model of abdominal aortic aneurysm evolution

• Modeling the soft tissue volumetric growth has received considerable attention in the literature.However, due to the lack of experimental observations, the growth kinematics, that are reported in the literature, are based on a number of assumptions.The present study tested the plausibility of different growth descriptions when applied to the abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) evolution.A structurally motivated material model and the multi-constituent tissue growth descriptions were utilized. The mass increment of the individual constituents preserved either the density or the volume.Four different growth descriptions were tested, namely isotropic (IVG), in-plane (PVG), in-thickness (TVG) growth and no volume growth (NVG) models.Based on the model sensitivity to the increased collagen deposition, TVG and NVG models were found to be plausible scenarios, while IVG and PVG were found to be implausible. In addition, TVG and NVG models were less sensitive to the initial constituent volume fractions, than IVG and PVG models.In conclusion, the choice of the growth kinematics is of crucial importance when modeling the AAA growth and remodeling, and,probably, also for other soft biological tissues.

Ämnesord

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Medicinsk bioteknologi -- Biomaterialvetenskap (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Medical Biotechnology -- Biomaterials Science (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

soft tissue

mixture model

growth deformation

growth description

volume growth

vascular adaptation

abdominal aortic aneurysm

AAA

Engineering Mechanics

Teknisk mekanik

Publikations- och innehållstyp

vet (ämneskategori)

rap (ämneskategori)