The Effect of Residual Stresses on Wave Speed in Arteries

The traditional approach to calculating stress distribution in arteries has been to assume (incorrectly) that the unloaded intact artery is stress-free. We consider the unloaded intact artery to have initial (i.e., residual) stresses and study how this aaects the calculated wave speed of the arterial pulse. We use a set of equations that describe, in a simpliied way, the blood ow in arteries and apply non-linear elasticity theory to derive a formula for wave speed. We compare wave speed calculations under two assumptions (considering unloaded intact arteries as stress-free and considering these arteries to have residual stresses). We nd that wave speeds calculated assuming residual stresses are more realistic. Clinical applications of this work are suggested.