Effects of Transmural Pressure and Muscular Activity on Pulse Waves in Arteries

Abstract

Propagation of small amplitude harmonic waves through a viscous incompressible fluid contained in an initially stressed elastic cylindrical tube is considered as a model of the pulse wave propagation in arteries. The nonlinearity and orthotropy of the vascular material is taken into account. Muscular activity is introduced by means of an “active” tension in circumferential direction of the vessel. The frequency equation is obtained and it is solved numerically for the parameters of a human abdominal aorta. Conclusions concerning pressure-dependence, age-dependence, and muscular activation-dependence of the wave characteristics are drawn which are in accord with available experimental data.