Pitching Stents

Aneurysms are balloon-like bulges in the sides of blood vessels, where the delicate lining spills out through weak points in the vessel wall. A burst or rupture can cause fatal internal bleeding in the brain, or in this abdominal aortic aneurysm. To treat aneurysms, surgeons commonly insert a stent – a sort of pop-up cage, which supports the weakened vessel from within. In this mathematical model, a new approach is tested – filling the vessel (purple) with a polymer (coloured light blue in the 'healthy' vessel on the left) keeping stents (dark blue) in place as blood is carried down from the kidneys above to the iliac arteries in the groin. The model makes a disturbing prediction that day-to-day forces in a human body, like the pendulum swing of the legs, could disrupt the 'seal' of the polymer (right images). Examining this virtually may prevent future risks to aneurysm sufferers.

Written by John Ankers

John Ankers

Writer

A former researcher in systems biology, John is now an online biology tutor and professional coach supporting the wellbeing of scientists and NHS professionals. He's writing, too, of course.

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• Image from work by L. P. Argani and colleagues
• Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
• Image originally published under a Creative Commons Licence (BY 4.0)
• Published in Scientific Reports, December 2017