In Vivo IVUS-Based 3-D Fluid–Structure Interaction Models With Cyclic Bending and Anisotropic Vessel Properties for Human Atherosclerotic Coronary Plaque Mechanical Analysis

In this paper, a modeling approach combining
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intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) imaging, computational modeling, angiography, and mechanical testing is proposed to perform mechanical analysis for human coronary atherosclerotic plaques for potential more accurate plaque vulnerability assessment. A 44-slice
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IVUS dataset of a coronary plaque was acquired from one patient, and four 3-D models with fluid-structure interactions (FSIs) based on the data were constructed to quantify effects of anisotropic vessel properties and cyclic bending of the coronary plaque on flow and plaque stress/strain conditions. Compared to the isotropic model (model 1, no bending, no axial stretch), maximum stress-P
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(maximum principal stress) values on the cut surface with maximum bending (where applicable) from model 2 (anisotropic, no bending, no stretch), model 3 (anisotropic, with bending, no stretch), and model 4 (anisotropic with bending and stretch) were, respectively, 63%, 126%, and 345% higher than that from model 1. Effects of cyclic bending on flow behaviors were modest (5%-15%). Our preliminary results indicated that
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IVUS-based FSI models with cyclic bending and anisotropic material properties could improve the accuracies of plaque stress/strain predictions and plaque vulnerability assessment. Large-scale patient studies are needed to further validate our findings.