Anisotropy of human coronary artery intima

There is extensive evidence that the acute phase of myocardial infarction frequency involves fissuring of the intima of epicardial coronary arteries. The fissures have been found postmortem generally at the sites of atheromatous plaques containing lipid. Pathological evidence suggest that the fracture occurs before death, with a thrombus growing in the pocket of the plaque as well as in the lumen of the vessel. Mechanical measurements have been made in uniaxial testing of human coronary artery intima segments. The fracture stresses measured are in the range of those computed in whole vessel walls, for which measured mechanical properties of tissues have been assigned, under pressure achieved within the physiological range, after the stress-intensifying effects of local lipid plaques have been incorporated.<>