Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) is the gradual and irreversible local widening of the distal region of the aorta. If undetected or untreated the intramural stress can exceed the strength of the aneurysm wall causing the structure to rupture. Upon rupture, AAA has a 90% mortality rate. It has been hypothesized, and shown in some studies, that regions of elevated stress of the AAA wall may be linked to sites of AAA rupture. In order for Finite Element Analysis (FEA) to be successfully used as a clinical tool, to aid in AAA rupture prediction, it is crucial that the mechanics of both the AAA wall and intraluminal thrombus (ILT) are described accurately. At present it is unclear whether ILT increases or decreases the rupture risk of AAA. This may be due to the lack of available data which can accurately describe its behaviour in vivo. A recent review of AAA mechanics explains how ‘there have been limited studies on the mechanical properties of intraluminal thrombus’. Due to the recent popularity of endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) the opportunities to harvest and conduct mechanical tests on this tissue are rare. This study aims to further characterize ILT using both uniaxial and biaxial test methods and where possible determine the layer and region specific mechanical properties of this material.

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