High-resolution MRI phase contrast imaging demonstrates a nonuniform distribution of wall shear rates throughout the arterial system, with the superficial femoral artery exhibiting the lowest shear rates and highest oscillatory shear index.
PURPOSE: To investigate wall shear rates in vivo in the common carotid, brachial, and superficial femoral arteries using very high resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) phase contrast measurements. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Mean, maximum, and minimum wall shear rate and an oscillatory shear index were measured for 20 volunteers, aged 23.3 +/- 1.9 years, in the three arteries, using phase contrast imaging with 0.0625 mm2 resolution and three-dimensional paraboloid fitting. RESULTS: The superficial femoral artery had the lowest mean (130.3 +/- 13.1 second(-1)), maximum (735.8 +/- 32.4 second(-1)), and minimum (-224.5 +/- 17.0 second(-1)) wall shear rate, as well as the highest oscillatory shear index (0.21 +/- 0.02). All values were significantly different (P < 0.05) from both the brachial artery and the common carotid artery values. The highest mean (333.3 +/- 13.6 second(-1)) and minimum (117.9 +/- 24.5 second(-1)) wall shear rates and the lowest oscillatory shear index (0 +/- 0) were found in the common carotid artery. CONCLUSION: It is possible to measure wall shear rate in vivo in different arteries using MRI with very high resolution. The findings exhibit the in vivo environment of wall shear rates and suggest a nonuniform distribution of wall shear rates throughout the arterial system.
Wu et al. (Wed,) studied this question.
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