Key result
Radially dominant anisotropic growth yields lower strain energy than isotropic growth in Glagov remodeling models.
Why the study?
The impact of anisotropic growth on Glagov remodeling in arteries and its energetic implications were not fully understood.
Does the type of growth anisotropy affect Glagov remodeling and strain energy in a computational model of atherosclerosis?
Does the type of growth anisotropy affect Glagov remodeling and strain energy in a computational model of atherosclerosis?
A computational morphoelastic model suggests that radially dominant anisotropic growth in atherosclerotic plaques minimizes strain energy during Glagov remodeling.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Suggests energy-efficient remodeling in computational plaque models; hypothesis-generating and should not yet change clinical practice.
In 1987, Seymour Glagov observed that arteries went through a two-stage remodeling process as a result of plaque growth: first, a compensatory phase where the lumen area remains approximately constant and second, an encroachment phase where the lumen area decreases over time. In this paper, we investigate the effect of growth anisotropy on Glagov remodeling in five different cases: pure radial, pure circumferential, pure axial, isotropic and general anisotropic growth where the elements of the growth tensor are chosen to minimize the total energy. We suggest that the nature of anisotropy is inclined towards the growth direction that requires the least amount of energy. Our framework is the theory of morphoelasticity on an axisymmetric arterial domain. For each case, we explore their specific effect on the Glagov curves. For the latter two cases, we also provide the changes in collagen fiber orientation and length in the intima, media and adventitia. In addition, we compare the total energy produced by growth in radial, circumferential and axial direction and deduce that using a radially dominant anisotropic growth leads to lower strain energy than isotropic growth.
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Mirzaei et al. (2020) studied Atherosclerosis. Anisotropic growth vs. Isotropic growth was evaluated on Total energy produced by growth. Radially dominant anisotropic growth leads to lower strain energy than isotropic growth in mathematical models of Glagov remodeling in atherosclerotic arteries.
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