title: Numerical study of wall shear stress-based descriptors in the human left coronary artery.
abstract: The present work is about the application of wall shear stress descriptors - time averaged wall shear stress (TAWSS), oscillating shear index (OSI) and relative residence time (RRT) - to the study of blood flow in the left coronary artery (LCA). These descriptors aid the prediction of disturbed flow conditions in the vessels and play a significant role in the detection of potential zones of atherosclerosis development. Hemodynamic descriptors data were obtained, numerically, through ANSYS® software, for the LCA of a patient-specific geometry and for a 3D idealized model. Comparing both cases, the results are coherent, in terms of location and magnitude. Low TAWSS, high OSI and high RRT values are observed in the bifurcation - potential zone of atherosclerosis appearance. The dissimilarities observed in the TAWSS values, considering blood as a Newtonian or non-Newtonian fluid, releases the importance of the correct blood rheologic caracterization. Moreover, for a higher Reynolds number, the TAWSS values decrease in the bifurcation and along the LAD branch, increasing the probability of plaques deposition. Furthermore, for a stenotic LCA model, very low TAWSS and high RRT values in front and behind the stenosis are observed, indicating the probable extension, in the flow direction, of the lesion.
authors.affiliation: a Centro de Estudos de Fenómenos de Transporte, Departamento de Engenharia Química, Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto , Porto , Portugal.
authors.forename: S I S
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Pinto
authors.affiliation: a Centro de Estudos de Fenómenos de Transporte, Departamento de Engenharia Química, Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto , Porto , Portugal.
authors.forename: J B L M
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Campos
mesh_terms: D003198:Computer Simulation; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000503:physiopathology*; D018056:Hemorheology; D006801:Humans; D008955:Models, Cardiovascular; D009716:Numerical Analysis, Computer-Assisted; D033081:Shear Strength; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: Left coronary artery; computational fluid dynamics; oscillating shear index; relative residence time; stenosis; time average wall shear stress