Complas 2023

COMPLAS 2023

Macro and Microscale Mechanics of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms

Terzano, Michele (Graz University of Technology)
Dalbosco, Misael (Graz University of Technology)
Holzapfel, Gerhard A (Graz University of Technology)

In session: TUa-501 - - IS501 - Advanced Modeling and Simulation in Biomechanics: from Molecules to Tissues

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An abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a local and irreversible bulging of the wall of the abdominal aorta that can lead to a rupture with life-threatening consequences for the patient. A recent mechanopathological theory of AAA suggests that changes in aortic wall structure, such as collagen fiber orientation, dispersion, and waviness can be associated with different stages of disease progression This study uses numerical simulations of an idealized aneurysm model to investigate such changes. The analysis involves two different levels: on the macroscale we model the tissue subjected to realistic in vivo loading, while on the microscale we adopt a statistical description of the extracellular matrix of the aorta by a representative volume element. By considering the tissue- homogenized response and kinematics at the collagen fiber level and tracking these changes during disease development, new insights into the mechanobiology of abdominal aortic aneurysms are provided.