Finite Element Modeling of Balloon Angioplasty by Considering Overstretch of Remnant Non-diseased Tissues in Lesions

The paper deals with the modeling of balloon angioplasty by considering the balloon-induced overstretch of remnant non-diseased tissues in atherosclerotic arteries. A stenotic artery is modeled as a heterogenous structure composed of adventitia, media and a model plaque, and residual stresses are considered. The constitutive models are able to capture the anisotropic elastic tissue response in addition to the inelastic phenomena associated with tissue stretches beyond the physiological domain. The inelastic model describes the experimentally-observed changes of the wall during balloon inflation, i.e. non-recoverable deformation, and tissue weakening. The contact of the artery with a balloon catheter is simulated by a point-to-surface strategy. The states of deformations and stresses within the artery before, during and after balloon inflation are computed, compared and discussed. The 3D stress states at physiological loading conditions before and after balloon inflation differ significantly, and even compressive normal stresses may occur in the media after dilation.