Salunke N V, Topoleski L D
Department of Mechanical Engineering, UMBC 21250, USA.
Crit Rev Biomed Eng. 1997;25(3):243-85.
Atherosclerosis is the leading cause of death in the U.S. In balloon angioplasty, pressure is applied directly to atherosclerotic plaque to reopen the occluded blood vessel. The mechanical behavior of the plaque often determines the outcome of the angioplasty. Little information on the material properties of atherosclerotic plaque is available, yet the properties govern the plaque's behavior. Our discussion of the experimental testing and numerical analysis of plaque is directed toward summarizing the current knowledge of plaque material properties. Atherosclerotic plaque exhibits a wide range of behaviors consistent with the variability in the underlying composition. Overall, plaques exhibit nonlinear and inelastic mechanical behavior, although geometry and material properties are not well known. The histomorphological composition is critical in determining the plaque's mechanical response. Finite element approximations have been used to study the stresses developed in the diseased vessel; however, material properties are a critical component of a finite element analysis: the predictive capabilities depend on how accurately the material is modeled. When more information on plaque behavior is generated through careful and extensive experimental investigations, better models will be constructed to more accurately predict plaque responses. As the biomechanics community learns about plaque mechanics, we can use the knowledge to enhance the reliability of interventional procedures.
动脉粥样硬化是美国的主要死因。在球囊血管成形术中，直接对动脉粥样硬化斑块施加压力以重新开通闭塞的血管。斑块的力学行为往往决定血管成形术的结果。关于动脉粥样硬化斑块材料特性的信息很少，然而这些特性决定了斑块的行为。我们对斑块的实验测试和数值分析的讨论旨在总结当前关于斑块材料特性的知识。动脉粥样硬化斑块表现出与基础成分变异性一致的广泛行为。总体而言，尽管几何形状和材料特性尚不清楚，但斑块表现出非线性和非弹性力学行为。组织形态学组成对于确定斑块的力学响应至关重要。有限元近似已被用于研究病变血管中产生的应力；然而，材料特性是有限元分析的关键组成部分：预测能力取决于对材料建模的准确程度。当通过仔细而广泛的实验研究获得更多关于斑块行为的信息时，将构建更好的模型以更准确地预测斑块反应。随着生物力学界了解斑块力学，我们可以利用这些知识提高介入手术的可靠性。
