Longitudinal Variation in the Mechanical Properties of the Posterior Side of Thoracic Aorta is Larger Than Those of the Anterior Side During the Inflation Test

The mechanical properties of arterial wall have been assumed isotropic and homogeneous, but advances in biomedical imaging and computational biomechanics bring a need for understanding regional difference in the biomechanical properties of arties. Particularly, vascular diseases such as aortic aneurysm and dissection are likely to be developed in the elderly and they are still life-threatening. Thus understanding of the regional variation in the mechanical behavior of arteries is critical for the clinical treatments and biomedical engineering applications.Copyright © 2012 by ASME