Effect of Aortic Distensibility on Coronary Flow: A 3D FSI Model of Aortic Valve With the Inclusion of Coronary Arteries

Aortic stiffening and CAS are thought to affect coronary blood flow [1,2]. Pathological conditions such as aortic aneurysm, aortic wall stiffening and calcific aortic stenosis (CAS) will affect the distensibility of the aortic root and therefore the hemodynamics of the region. Reduced aortic distensibility (i.e. increased aortic stiffness) via presence of pathologies such as severe CAS results in a decrease of diastolic backflow. This reduction will cause less flow to enter the coronaries [2,3,4] and therefore reduce the amount of oxygen delivered to myocardium. This reduction of coronary flow can be explained by the concomitance of reduced myocardial supply as a result of decreased coronary perfusion pressure, and increased myocardial metabolic demand.