Fluid-Structure Interaction in Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm: Effect of Modeling Techniques

Authors

Shengmao Lin, Xiamen University of Technology
Xinwei Han, Zhengzhou University
Yonghua Bi, Zhengzhou University
Siyeong Ju, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Linxia Gu, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow

Document Type

Article

Date of this Version

2017

Citation

Hindawi Publishing Corporation BioMed Research International Volume 2017, Article ID 7023078, 10 pages

Comments

Copyright © 2017 Shengmao Lin et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License

Abstract

In this work, the impact of modeling techniques on predicting the mechanical behaviors of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is systematically investigated. The fluid-structure interaction (FSI) model for simultaneously capturing the transient interaction between blood flow dynamics and wall mechanics was compared with its simplified techniques, that is, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) or computational solid stress (CSS) model. Results demonstrated that CFD exhibited relatively smaller vortexes and tends to overestimate the fluid wall shear stress, compared to FSI. On the contrary, the minimal differences in wall stresses and deformation were observed between FSI and CSS models. Furthermore, it was found that the accuracy of CSS prediction depends on the applied pressure profile for the aneurysm sac. A large pressure drop across AAA usually led to the underestimation of wall stresses and thus the AAA rupture. Moreover, the assumed isotropic AAA wall properties, compared to the anisotropic one, will aggravate the difference between the simplified models with the FSI approach. The present work demonstrated the importance of modeling techniques on predicting the blood flow dynamics and wall mechanics of the AAA, which could guide the selection of appropriate modeling technique for significant clinical implications.