Background Current methods for aortic dissection risk assessment are inadequate for patients with ascending aortic aneurysms associated with either bicuspid aortic valves (BAVs) or tricuspid aortic valves (TAVs). Biomechanical testing of aortic tissue may provide novel insights and biomarkers. Methods and Results From March 2017 to August 2019, aneurysmal ascending aortas (BAV=23, TAV=23) were collected from elective aortic surgery, normal aortas from transplant donors (n=9), and dissected aortas from surgery for aortic dissection (n=7). These aortas underwent delamination testing in simulation of aortic dissection. Biaxial tensile testing was performed to determine modulus of elasticity (aortic stiffness), and energy loss (a measure of efficiency in performing the Windkessel function). Delamination strength ( S d ) was lowest in dissected aortas (18±6 mN/mm) and highest in normal aortas (58±16 mN/mm), and aneurysms fell in between, with greater S d in the BAV group (37±10 mN/mm) than the TAV group (27±10 mN/mm) ( P <0.001). Bicuspid aortopathy was associated with greater stiffness ( P <0.001), while aneurysms with TAV demonstrated greater energy loss ( P <0.001). S d decreased by 7.8±1.2 mmol/L per mm per decade of life ( r 2 =0.45, P <0.001), and it was significantly lower for patients with hypertension ( P =0.001). S d decreased by 6.1±2.1 mmol/L per mm with each centimeter increase in aortic diameter ( r 2 =0.15, P =0.007). Increased energy loss was associated with decreased S d ( r 2 =0.41), whereas there was no relationship between S d and aortic stiffness. Conclusions Aneurysms with BAV had higher S d than those with TAV, suggesting that BAV was protective. Energy loss was lower in aneurysms with BAV, and inversely associated with S d , representing a potential novel biomarker.

OBJECTIVES The effect of aortic haemodynamics on arterial wall properties in ascending thoracic aortic aneurysms (ATAAs) is not well understood. We aim to delineate the relationship between shear forces along the aortic wall and loco-regional biomechanical properties associated with the risk of aortic dissection. METHODS Five patients with ATAA underwent preoperative magnetic resonance angiogram and four-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging. From these scans, haemodynamic models were constructed to estimate maximum wall shear stress (WSS), maximum time-averaged WSS, average oscillating shear index and average relative residence time. Fourteen resected aortic samples from these patients underwent bi-axial tensile testing to determine energy loss (ΔUL) and elastic modulus (E10) in the longitudinal (ΔULlong, E10long) and circumferential (ΔULcirc, E10circ) directions and the anisotropic index (AI) for each parameter. Nine resected aortic samples underwent peel testing to determine the delamination strength (Sd). Haemodynamic indices were then correlated to the biomechanical properties. RESULTS A positive correlation was found between maximum WSS and ΔULlong rs=0.75, P = 0.002 and AIΔUL (rs=0.68, P=0.01). Increasing maximum time-averaged WSS was found to be associated with increasing ΔULlong (rs=0.73, P = 0.003) and AIΔUL (rs=0.62, P=0.02). Average oscillating shear index positively correlated with Sd (rs=0.73,P=0.04). No significant relationship was found between any haemodynamic index and E10, or between relative residence time and any biomechanical property. CONCLUSIONS Shear forces at the wall of ATAAs are associated with local degradation of arterial wall viscoelastic hysteresis (ΔUL) and delamination strength, a surrogate for aortic dissection. Haemodynamic indices may provide insights into aortic wall integrity, ultimately leading to novel metrics for assessing risks associated with ATAAs.

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