The Geometry of Coronary Artery Bifurcations and Its Role in Plaque Formation

Abstract

The risk of cardiovascular diseases is determined by the deposition of plaque in the coronary arteries. The areas of plaque deposition are also controlled by the flow dynamics and, for this, the topology of the arterial bifurcations has shown to be crucial. We present a detailed analysis of different topologies at the bifurcation based on numerical simulations of a mathematical model. Different diameters of the involved vessels as well as angle between them are analyzed. Unexpectedly, the curvature of the walls connecting the vessels is observed to play an important role.