Twisted veins are observed throughout the body and are often associated with health risks such as hypertension and diabetes mellitus [1]. Recently, it has been shown that veins will buckle and become tortuous when lumen pressure exceeds a critical value [2]. However, veins also undergo twist deformations in vivo due to body movement, vein grafting, and microanastomosis procedures which may lead to reduced patency, kinking, and thrombus formation [3, 4]. In spite of this, little data is available regarding the stability of veins when subject to twist deformations. Therefore, it is of clinical interest to investigate the mechanical stability of veins under torsion.

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