25 Febbraio 2022. Seminari fra Giovani Ricercatori: Implications of hyper- and linear- elastic mechanical properties on the predictive capabilities of vulnerable coronary plaques

Seminari fra Giovani Ricercatori.

Implications of hyper- and linear- elastic mechanical properties on the predictive capabilities of vulnerable coronary plaques” 

by Marco Stefanati (Research fellow at Politecnico di Milano) and Zhongzhao Teng (Senior Research Associate at University of Cambridge). 

Abstract: 

A coronary plaque rupture is a precipitating event in 2/3 of myocardial infarctions. Frequently considered precursors for a lesion are thin overlying fibrous cap separating the core from the lumen (i.e. thin-cap fibroatheroma, TCFA), and large, necrotic, lipid core, and superimposed thrombus. Currently, the risk of plaque rupture is computed based on demographic, clinical, and image-based adverse features. However, the absolute event rate per single higher-risk lesion remains low. Hence, additional methods for assessment of plaque vulnerability are required to improve the ability to predict plaque rupture and decide the best intervention and/or treatment for the patient. 

In this seminar, firstly, a Finite Element Method (FEM) model to characterize coronary biomechanics will be shown. Then, a study regarding the possibility of using the von Mises stress as a potential predictor and/or classifying feature, for vulnerable plaque rupture, in order to stratify vulnerable and non-vulnerable coronary plaques will be presented. The results suggest the dynamic von Mises stress could be a robust classifier of vulnerable coronary plaques and the ability to distinguish between the two populations of atherosclerotic plaques is independent of the mechanical properties but dependent on the stress state and plaque geometric peculiarities. 

In addition, an automatic tool for FEM simulations of coronary arteries will be presented. The automatic tool starting from the coronary segmentation, performs a smoothing surface of the different components in the coronary section, creates the voxelized mesh and computes the FEM simulation. Finally, a presentation of the coronary plaque segmentation and identification of the different components will be introduced by Prof. Zhongzhao Teng of the University of Cambridge.