Key result
Increased carotid curvature and wider bifurcation angles linked to higher atherosclerotic risk via oscillatory shear.
Why the study?
Disturbed flow and abnormal shear stress near the carotid bifurcation influence endothelial dysfunction, but the impact of patient-specific geometry on hemodynamic parameters associated with atherosclerotic risk required quantification.
Patient-specific CFD analysis highlights the critical role of geometric characteristics in shaping local carotid hemodynamics, supporting its utility for personalized atherosclerotic risk assessment.
May warrant carotid geometry evaluation in personalized risk assessment; extends evidence for patient-specific CFD in atherosclerosis research.
Understanding the hemodynamics of the carotid artery is essential for assessing atherosclerotic disease progression and identifying regions vulnerable to plaque formation. Background: Disturbed flow patterns and abnormal shear stresses, particularly near the carotid bifurcation, are known to influence endothelial dysfunction; therefore, this study aims to quantify the impact of patient-specific carotid artery geometry on key hemodynamic parameters associated with atherosclerotic risk. Methods: Four patient-specific carotid artery geometries were reconstructed from medical imaging data, processed using MIMICS, and analyzed using computational fluid dynamics in ANSYS Fluent, with blood modeled as an incompressible non-Newtonian fluid using the Carreau–Yasuda viscosity model under pulsatile flow conditions; velocity streamlines, pressure distribution, time-averaged wall shear stress (TAWSS), and oscillatory shear index (OSI) were evaluated at early systole, peak systole, and peak diastole. Results: The simulations revealed complex flow behaviour, including flow reversal, pressure build-up, and low-shear regions concentrated near the carotid bulb and bifurcation, with TAWSS consistently identifying low-shear zones (<1 Pa) across all geometries and OSI exhibiting pronounced directional oscillations in models with increased curvature and wider bifurcation angles. Conclusions: These findings demonstrate that geometric characteristics such as bifurcation angle, vessel tortuosity, and asymmetry play a critical role in shaping local haemodynamics, underscoring the utility of patient-specific CFD analysis as a diagnostic and predictive tool for atherosclerotic risk assessment and supporting more informed, personalized clinical decision-making.
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Ningappa et al. (2026) studied this question. Carotid artery geometries with increased curvature and wider bifurcation angles exhibited pronounced oscillatory shear and low-shear zones (<1 Pa) associated with atherosclerotic risk.
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