title: Compression of interventricular septum during right ventricular pressure loading.
abstract: The interventricular septum, which flattens and inverts in conditions such as pulmonary hypertension, is considered by many to be an unstressed membrane, in that its position is assumed to be determined solely by the transseptal pressure gradient. A two-dimensional finite element model was developed to investigate whether compression and bending moments (behavior incompatible with a membrane) exist in the septum during diastole under abnormal loading, i.e., pulmonary artery (PA) constriction. Hemodynamic and echocardiographic data were obtained in six open-chest anesthetized dogs. For both control and PA constriction, the measured left ventricular and right ventricular pressures were applied to a residually stressed mesh. Adjustments were made to the stiffness and end-bending moments until the deformed and loaded residually stressed mesh matched the observed configuration of the septum. During PA constriction, end-bending moments were required to obtain satisfactory matches but not during control. Furthermore, substantial circumferential compressive stresses developed during PA constriction. Such stresses might impede septal blood flow and provoke the unexplained ischemia observed in some conditions characterized by abnormal septal motion.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Medicine, Physiology and Biophysics and Civil Engineering, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada.
authors.forename: G S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Nelson
authors.forename: E Y
authors.initials: EY
authors.lastname: Sayed-Ahmed
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Kroeker
authors.forename: Y H
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: H E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Keurs
authors.forename: N G
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Shrive
authors.forename: J V
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Tyberg
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure; D003198:Computer Simulation; D003971:Diastole; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004285:Dogs; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D020342:Finite Element Analysis; D006346:Heart Septum / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008955:Models, Cardiovascular; D011651:Pulmonary Artery; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D018497:Ventricular Dysfunction, Right / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*