Department of Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering, National University of Ireland, and University College Hospital, Galway, University Road, Galway, Ireland.
Ann Biomed Eng. 2010 Mar;38(3):824-40. doi: 10.1007/s10439-010-9925-5. Epub 2010 Jan 20.
Vessel geometry determines blood flow dynamics and plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of vascular disease. In vivo assessment of three-dimensional (3D) vessel anatomy is vital to improve the realism of arterial flow model geometries and investigate factors associated with the localisation of atherosclerosis. The quantification of vascular geometry is also particularly important for the proper design and preclinical testing of endovascular devices used to treat peripheral arterial disease. The purpose of this study was to quantitatively evaluate the intersubject variability of 3D branching and curvature of the abdominal aorta and its major peripheral arteries. Contrast-enhanced renal MRA scans of healthy abdominal vessels obtained in 12 subjects (8 men, 4 women mean age 49 years, range 27-84 years) were segmented, and smoothed centerlines were determined as descriptors of arterial geometry. Robust techniques were employed to characterise non-planar vessel curvature, arterial taper, and 3D branching parameters. Noticeable 3D curvature and tapering were quantified for the proximal anterior visceral and renal branches. Mean 3D branching angles of 63.5+/-10.1 degrees and 73.1+/-6.8 degrees were established for the right and left renal arteries, respectively. Angles describing the ostial position and initial trajectory of the renal arteries confirmed the antero-lateral origin and direction of the right and the more lateral orientation of the left. The anterior visceral branches emerged predominantly from the left side of the anterior aortic wall. Branching parameters determined at the aortic bifurcation demonstrated mild asymmetry and non-planarity at this location. In summary, the results from this study address the scarcity of available in vivo 3D quantitative geometric data relating to the abdominal vasculature and reflect the geometric variability in living subjects.
血管几何形状决定血流动力学，在血管疾病的发病机制中起着关键作用。体内评估三维（3D）血管解剖结构对于提高动脉流动模型几何形状的逼真度以及研究与动脉粥样硬化定位相关的因素至关重要。血管几何形状的量化对于治疗外周动脉疾病的血管内装置的正确设计和临床前测试也非常重要。本研究的目的是定量评估 12 名健康受试者（8 名男性，4 名女性，平均年龄 49 岁，范围 27-84 岁）腹部大血管及其主要外周动脉的 3D 分支和曲率的个体间变异性。对健康腹部血管进行对比增强肾 MRA 扫描，对这些血管进行分割，并确定平滑中心线作为动脉几何形状的描述符。采用稳健技术来描述非平面血管曲率、动脉锥度和 3D 分支参数。近端内脏前支和肾支的 3D 曲率和变细明显。右侧和左侧肾动脉的平均 3D 分支角度分别为 63.5+/-10.1 度和 73.1+/-6.8 度。描述肾动脉起始位置和初始轨迹的角度证实了右肾动脉从前外侧起源和指向，左肾动脉更偏向外侧。内脏前支主要从主动脉前壁的左侧分支。在主动脉分叉处确定的分支参数显示出该部位的轻度不对称性和非平面性。总之，本研究结果解决了与腹部血管相关的可用体内 3D 定量几何数据的稀缺性问题，并反映了活体受试者的几何变异性。
