AnXplore: a comprehensive fluid-structure interaction study of 101 intracranial aneurysms

Abstract

Advances in computational fluid dynamics continuously extend the comprehension of aneurysm growth and rupture, intending to assist physicians in devising effective treatment strategies. While most studies have first modelled intracranial aneurysm walls as fully rigid with a focus on understanding blood flow characteristics, some researchers further introduced Fluid-Structure Interaction (FSI) and reported notable haemodynamic alterations for a few aneurysm cases when considering wall compliance. In this work, we explore further this research direction by studying 101 intracranial sidewall aneurysms, emphasizing the differences between rigid and deformable-wall simulations. The proposed dataset along with simulation parameters are shared for the sake of reproducibility. A wide range of haemodynamic patterns has been statistically analyzed with a particular focus on the impact of the wall modelling choice. Notable deviations in flow characteristics and commonly employed risk indicators are reported, particularly with near-dome blood recirculations being significantly impacted by the pulsating dynamics of the walls. This leads to substantial fluctuations in the sac-averaged oscillatory shear index, ranging from −36% to +674% of the standard rigid-wall value. Going a step further, haemodynamics obtained when simulating a flow-diverter stent modelled in conjunction with FSI are showcased for the first time, revealing a 73% increase in systolic sac-average velocity for the compliant-wall setting compared to its rigid counterpart. This last finding demonstrates the decisive impact that FSI modelling can have in predicting treatment outcomes.