Geometric surrogates of abdominal aortic aneurysm wall mechanics

An abdominal aortic aneurysm is a dilatation of the infrarenal aorta which, if left untreated, can rupture. When this occurs, there is a 50% mortality rate before reaching the operating room and an additional 25% intra-operative mortality rate [1]. AAA disease is ranked as the 13th cause of death in the U.S. [2] and is most common in patients 65 years of age and older [3]. This high rate of mortality is due to most AAAs remaining asymptomatic until they rupture. Risk factors associated with AAA rupture include smoking, obesity, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol, but timely diagnosis of asymptomatic AAA is still a difficult task.

Source: Medical Engineering and Physics - July 10, 2018 Category: Biomedical Engineering Authors: Jes ús Urrutia, Anuradha Roy, Samarth S. Raut, Raúl Antón, Satish C. Muluk, Ender A. Finol Source Type: research