Numerical Study of Stent-induced Arterial Remodeling
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The most common cardiovascular disease is atherosclerosis, and its treatment involves the deployment of a meshed tube known as a stent. This medical procedure serves to expand the arterial lumen; however, it concurrently increases stresses within the arterial wall. Numerical analysis is a powerful tool that can be used to investigate the effect of stent implantation within the artery. Soft tissues can be numerically modeled with the growth and remodeling (G&R) model. Over the years, this modeling approach has significantly contributed to understanding the biochemical and biomechanical processes and prediction of disease progression [1]. Stent-induced increases in wall stresses trigger the growth and remodeling processes within the arterial wall. This can lead to in-stent restenosis (ISR), characterized by a gradual re-narrowing of the stented segment [2]. Such restenosis is likely caused by an increased production of wall constituents due to increased wall stresses. ISR mostly occurs between 3 to 12 months after the stent placement. In this study, a 3D-constrained mixture G&R model implemented in a finite element analysis program [3] is adapted for stent implantation in the carotid artery. Various parameters related to ISR are varied, such as plaque types, stent materials and geometry; and the locations of the highest stresses and arterial wall constituents’ production are studied, as they are key factors in ISR occurrence.