title: The cardiac torsion as a sensitive index of heart pathology: A model study.
abstract: The torsional behaviour of the heart (i.e. the mutual rotation of the cardiac base and apex) was proved to be sensitive to alterations of some cardiovascular parameters, i.e. preload, afterload and contractility. Moreover, pathologies which affect the fibers architecture and cardiac geometry were proved to alter the cardiac torsion pattern. For these reasons, cardiac torsion represents a sensitive index of ventricular performance. The aim of this work is to provide further insight into physiological and pathological alterations of the cardiac torsion by means of computational analyses, combining a structural model of the two ventricles with simple lumped parameter models of both the systemic and the pulmonary circulations. Starting from diagnostic images, a 3D anatomy based geometry of the two ventricles was reconstructed. The myocytes orientation in the ventricles was assigned according to literature data and the myocardium was modelled as an anisotropic hyperelastic material. Both the active and the passive phases of the cardiac cycle were modelled, and different clinical conditions were simulated. The results in terms of alterations of the cardiac torsion in the presence of pathologies are in agreement with experimental literature data. The use of a computational approach allowed the investigation of the stresses and strains in the ventricular wall as well as of the global hemodynamic parameters in the presence of the considered pathologies. Furthermore, the model outcomes highlight how for specific pathological conditions, an altered torsional pattern of the ventricles can be present, encouraging the use of the ventricular torsion in the clinical practice.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biological Structure Mechanics (LaBS), Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering "Giulio Natta", Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano, Italy. Electronic address: elena.cutri@polimi.it.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cutrì
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3RA, UK. Electronic address: ms2214@cam.ac.uk.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Serrani
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biological Structure Mechanics (LaBS), Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering "Giulio Natta", Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano, Italy. Electronic address: paola.bagnoli@polimi.it.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bagnoli
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biological Structure Mechanics (LaBS), Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering "Giulio Natta", Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano, Italy. Electronic address: roberto.fumero@polimi.it.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fumero
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biological Structure Mechanics (LaBS), Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering "Giulio Natta", Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano, Italy. Electronic address: marialaura.costantino@polimi.it.
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Costantino
mesh_terms: D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D020342:Finite Element Analysis; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006439:Hemodynamics; D055595:Mechanical Phenomena; D008953:Models, Anatomic; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology*; D012399:Rotation; D013312:Stress, Physiological
keywords: Cardiac mechanics; Cardiac torsion; Finite element model; Hypertension; Myocardial infarction