Mechanical Characterization of Fresh Human Carotid Atherosclerotic Plaque

Quantifying the properties of atherosclerotic plaques is critical to improving our understanding of the pathogenesis of the disease. Furthermore realistic tissue properties are vital in order to obtain legitimate results from finite element models of surgical interventions used to treat cardiovascular disease. The aim of this study is to determine the mechanical properties of fresh human carotid plaques immediately following removal during endarterectomy. A number of studies have reported atherosclerotic plaque properties previously [1–3], however all of these tested cadaveric tissue. This study will further investigate in-patient and inter-patient variability, the relationship between plaque properties and their clinical classification (calcified, mixed or echolucent) and the location of the sample (common, internal, external carotid).