Methods for Quantifying Three-Dimensional Deformation of Arteries due to Pulsatile and Nonpulsatile Forces: Implications for the Design of Stents and Stent Grafts

Abstract

The knowledge of dynamic changes in the vascular system has become increasingly important in ensuring the safety and efficacy of endovascular devices. We developed new methods for quantifying in vivo three-dimensional (3D) arterial deformation due to pulsatile and nonpulsatile forces. A two-dimensional threshold segmentation technique combined with a level set method enabled calculation of the consistent centroid of the cross-sectional vessel lumen, whereas an optimal Fourier smoothing technique was developed to eliminate spurious irregularities of the centerline connecting the centroids. Longitudinal strain and novel metrics for axial twist and curvature change were utilized to characterize 3D deformations of the abdominal aorta, common iliac artery, and superficial femoral artery (SFA) due to musculoskeletal motion and deformations of the coronary artery due to cardiac pulsatile motion. These illustrative applications show the significance of each deformation metric, revealing significant longitudinal strain and axial twist in the SFA and coronary artery, and pronounced changes in vessel curvature in the coronary artery and in the inferior region of the SFA. The proposed methods may aid in designing preclinical tests aimed at replicating dynamic in vivo conditions in the arterial tree for the purpose of developing more durable endovascular devices including stents and stent grafts.

Quantification of Popliteal Artery Deformation During Leg Flexion in Subjects With Peripheral Artery Disease: A Pilot Study

“…Another limitation concerns the limited number of patients included; however, the typical number of subjects in similar work is between 1 and a maximum of 10. [12][13][14]17,18 In addition, the patients considered in this study covered a large range of arterial calcifications, which is sufficient to provide an assessment of the effect of the PAD on the arterial deformations.…”

Aging Impact on Thoracic Aorta 3D Morphometry in Intermediate-Risk Subjects: Looking Beyond Coronary Arteries with Non-Contrast Cardiac CT

“…In this context, previous works, using robust and objective techniques, were developed to successfully characterize the 3D geometry of arteries. 5,29 However, these methods are not compatible with non-contrast CT image quality where simplified calculations should be proposed. Using non-contrast CT images, traditional methods restrict the aortic size measurement to the ascending and descending diameters.…”

Geometric Variability of the Abdominal Aorta and Its Major Peripheral Branches

“…Although average curvatures for the infrarenal abdominal aorta and iliac branches have been reported in an earlier methods article for three patients 46 and in recent work by Choi et al 12,13 related to physiological vessel movement, to our knowledge no comprehensive analysis of proximal renal artery or anterior visceral branch curvature exists. The curvature and torsion profiles presented for the various vessels in this study give a novel insight into the regional variation of the parameters over the actual artery length in different subjects.…”