Modelling and numerical simulation of the human aortic arch under in vivo conditions

Abstract

This work presents the modelling and simulationof the mechanical behaviour of the human aortic archunder in vivo conditions with pressure levels within the normaland hypertension physiological range. The cases studiedcorrespond to young and aged arteries without cardiovascularpathologies. First, the tissue of these two groups is characterisedvia in vitro tensile test measurements that make itpossible to derive the material parameters of a hyperelasticisotropic constitutive model. Then, these material parametersare used in the simulation of young and aged aorticarches subjected to in vivo normal and hypertension conditions.Overall, the numerical results were found not onlyto provide a realistic description of the mechanical behaviourof the vessel but also to be useful data that allow the adequatedefinition of stress/stretch-based criteria to predict its failure.