Effect of Common Carotid Artery Inlet Length on Helical Flow at the Carotid Bifurcation: Influence on Exposure to Disturbed Shear

There is evidence that helical blood flow elicits atheroprotective fluid-wall interaction processes and regulates the transport of atherogenic particles at the luminal surface [1]. In particular, with reference to the carotid bifurcation it was also suggested that helical flow might play a key role in determining wall shear stress patterns [2]. Those findings suggest that a relationship could exist in the carotid bifurcation between exposure to disturbed shear and helical bulk flow patterns, an hypothesis that has been tested only in simplified models [3]. For this reason, in the present study we aim to gain further knowledge on the existence of a link between local risk factors in atherosclerosis and the amount of helicity in the bulk flow of carotid bifurcations. In particular, here we want to confirm if a high amount of helical flow is instrumental in suppressing flow disturbances.