Effects of Stenosis Asymmetry on Blood Flow in Stenotic Arteries and Wall Compression

Severe stenoses in arteries cause critical flow conditions which may be related to thrombus formation, artery compression and plaque cap rupture. The exact mechanism of these events and the conditions causing them are not well understood. Considerable work for flow in stenotic tubes have been reported in last twenty years and many interesting phenomena such as flow limitation, choking, flutter and wall collapse have been observed [3]. Stenosis severity, wall compliance and pressure conditions have been identified as dominating factors affecting wall deformation and flow and pressure fields. However, real arteries are rarely axisymmetric. Stenosis asymmetry may have considerable effects on wall stress and the critical flow characteristics.