Preterm Lambs Tracheal Duct Collapsibility: a Finite Element Study

INTRODUCTION Knowledge of the mechanical behavior of immature tracheae is crucial in order to understand the effects exerted on central airways by ventilatory treatments, particularly of tidal liquid ventilation (TLV) [1]. Although the adult respiratory system has been deeply studied with both experimental and computational approaches, the infant and fetal lungs have never been examined so accurately, in spite of their peculiar characteristics and pathologies. The aim of this study is the investigation of the mechanical behavior of preterm lamb tracheae, in terms of compliance, and particularly collapsibility, at pressure conditions which may occur during TLV. Both computational methods and experimental tests were used to this purpose.