Remodelling of material structure in aortic valve leaflet.

PURPOSE The goal of this study is to model changes in fibre content in aortic valve leaflet material due to mechanical stimuli. METHODS The fibre remodelling process is associated with the redistribution of the internal forces acting in the shell. The process is characterized by the occurrence of extreme stresses and strains. The load distribution function is asymmetrical. The optimization problem has been assigned the task of transferring the load imposed on the leaflet. The density of the fibres per unit surface of the middle shell was assumed to be proportional to the shell thickness, which means that fibre density along the normal direction is constant over the entire shell. RESULTS The model of valve leaflet loading is the distribution of the pressure generated on the leaflet shell surface by the flowing fluid. The algorithm for the redistribution of the leaflet material mass made it possible to distinguish two regions of enhanced thickness in the leaflet shell. One was localized between the commissures along the leaflet attachment, the other one in the middle part of the leaflet at the level of the commissures. A reduction in shell thickness is observed in the middle part of the leaflet, above the point of its attachment to the aorta. CONCLUSIONS The distribution of the thickness field obtained corroborates the findings of the study reported elier. Our study on the remodelling of the valve leaflet entailed the application of the stress criterion, which visibly upgraded the functioning of the valve by improving its mechanical and hemodynamic parameters.