title: [Role of computational fluid dynamics in thoracic aortic diseases research: technical superiority and application prospect].
abstract: Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) technology has the potential to simulate normal or pathologic aortic blood flow changes of mechanical properties and flow field, thereby helping researchers understand and reveal the occurrence, development and prognosis of aortic disease. In aortic diseases research, the initial conditions of CFD numerical simulation has experienced a developed process from idealization (forward engineering), rigid vessel wall, uniform cross-sections, laminar flow and stable blood flow towards personalization (reverse engineering), elastic vessel wall (fluid-solid coupling technique), cone-shaped diminishing cross-sections, turbulent flow, pulsatile blood flow. In this review, the research status, the technical superiority and application prospect of CFD technology were discussed with examples in following three major application areas: (1) dynamics characteristic and mechanical properties in normal thoracic aorta; (2) occurrence, advance and disruptive risk predicting in thoracic aortic aneurysm; (3) therapeutic effect and aneurysmal dilatation simulation in thoracic aortic dissection. For the future, the CFD technology may profoundly put an influence on the awareness to aortic diseases and treatment strategies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Surgery, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing 100044, China.
authors.forename: Weihao
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Surgery, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing 100044, China.
authors.forename: Chenyang
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Surgery, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing 100044, China.
authors.forename: Xiaoming
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Surgery, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing 100044, China; Email: rmyyxgwkky@163.com.
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D001011:Aorta / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology*; D017545:Aortic Aneurysm, Thoracic / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D004106:Dilatation; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D011673:Pulsatile Flow; D012039:Regional Blood Flow