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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Bioeng. Biotechnol.
Sec. Biomechanics
Volume 12 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2024.1439846
This article is part of the Research Topic Diagnostic and Predictive Roles of Computational Cardiovascular Hemodynamics in the Management of Cardiovascular Diseases View all articles

Hemodynamic Influence of Mild Stenosis Morphology in Different Coronary Arteries: A Computational Fluid Dynamic Modelling Study

Provisionally accepted
Xi Chen Xi Chen Haoyao Cao Haoyao Cao Yiming Li Yiming Li Fei Chen Fei Chen Yong Peng Yong Peng Tinghui Zheng Tinghui Zheng *Mao Chen Mao Chen *
  • Sichuan University, Chengdu, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Mild stenosis (degree of stenosis (DS) < 50%) is commonly labeled as non-obstructive lesion. Some lesions remain stable for several years, while others precipitate acute coronary syndromes (ACS) rapidly. The causes of ACS and the factors leading to diverse clinical outcomes remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the hemodynamic influence of mild stenosis morphologies in different coronary arteries. The stenoses were modeled with different morphologies based on a healthy individual data. Computational fluid dynamics analysis was used to obtain hemodynamic characteristics, including flow waveforms, fractional flow reserve (FFR), flow streamlines, timeaverage wall shear stress (TAWSS), and oscillatory shear index (OSI). Numerical simulation indicated significant hemodynamic differences among different DS and locations. In the 20%-30% range, significant large, low-velocity vortexes resulted in low TAWSS (<4 dyne/cm²) around stenoses. In the 30%-50% range, high flow velocity due to lumen area reduction resulted in high TAWSS (>40 dyne/cm²), rapidly expanding the high TAWSS area (averagely increased by 0.46 cm²) in left main artery and left anterior descending artery (LAD), where high OSI areas remained extensive (>0.19cm²). While mild stenosis does not pose any immediate ischemic risk due to a FFR > 0.95, 20%-50% stenosis requires attention and further subdivision based on location is essential. Rapid progression is a danger for lesions with 20%-30% DS near the stenoses and in the proximal LAD, while lesions with 30%-50% DS can cause plaque injury and rupture. These findings support clinical practice in early assessment, monitoring, and preventive treatment.

    Keywords: Coronary arteriosclerosis, Hemodynamics, Computed tomographic, computational fluid dynamics, fluid mechanics

    Received: 31 May 2024; Accepted: 02 Jul 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Chen, Cao, Li, Chen, Peng, Zheng and Chen. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Tinghui Zheng, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
    Mao Chen, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.