Evaluation of Analytic Estimates of Ventricular Wall Stress Using the Finite Element Method

The importance of ventricular wall stress to cardiac function has been well-documented [1, 2], although accurate quantification remains a challenge. In this study, three popular analytic formulas for estimating circumferential wall stress were comprehensively evaluated to identify the conditions for which their use may be appropriate. In particular, the equations of Laplace [3], Mirsky [4], and Janz [5] are commonly used in the fields of cardiology and echocardiography; despite the inaccuracy of key theoretical assumptions, they have been attractive for their simplicity. For validation, we employed specialized finite element methods, developed specifically for cardiac mechanics applications [6], to compute regional wall stress in a series of model chambers having systematically varying geometric and material complexity. We limited our analysis to circumferential stress for consistency with the theoretical equations, and because of its relevance to cardiac mechanics.