Assessment of biomechanical properties in pulmonary arterial hypertension: a computational fluid dynamics study of the extensive pulmonary arterial tree

Abstract Biomechanical forces play a central role in the pathophysiology of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Due to the numerous branches and complex structure of the pulmonary arteries, three-dimensional reconstruction poses significant challenges, resulting in a lack of comprehensive hemodyn...

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Main Authors: Jian Shi, Jianwen Liang, Jieting Wang, Hui Wang, Zhenyu Wang, Xiaocong Zhang, Guifu Wu, Shuai Tian, Wenbin Wei
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-04-01
Series:BMC Pulmonary Medicine
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12890-025-03647-4
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author Jian Shi
Jianwen Liang
Jieting Wang
Hui Wang
Zhenyu Wang
Xiaocong Zhang
Guifu Wu
Shuai Tian
Wenbin Wei
author_facet Jian Shi
Jianwen Liang
Jieting Wang
Hui Wang
Zhenyu Wang
Xiaocong Zhang
Guifu Wu
Shuai Tian
Wenbin Wei
author_sort Jian Shi
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Biomechanical forces play a central role in the pathophysiology of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Due to the numerous branches and complex structure of the pulmonary arteries, three-dimensional reconstruction poses significant challenges, resulting in a lack of comprehensive hemodynamic studies encompassing the entire pulmonary arterial tree in PAH. This study employs computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to evaluate the biomechanical properties of the extensive pulmonary artery tree (segmented up to 6 th-generation branches) in PAH. Key hemodynamic parameters, including velocity, wall shear stress (WSS), time-averaged wall shear stress (TAWSS), oscillatory shear index (OSI), and relative residence time (RRT), were meticulously computed. Results revealed a significant decrease in outlet cross-sectional area (p < 0.0001) and a notable increase in outlet velocity compared to the inlet (p < 0.05) and main body (p < 0.001). WSS in the proximal pulmonary artery was consistently lower than in the distal pulmonary artery for all subjects, with low TAWSS observed in proximal arteries. Helical flow patterns were predominantly seen in proximal pulmonary arteries of PAH subjects. Additionally, high OSI and RRT values were noted within the proximal arteries. This study provides a comprehensive evaluation of hemodynamic parameters in PAH, identifying velocity, WSS, OSI, and RRT as valuable markers of its distinct biomechanical characteristics. These findings shed light on the complex interplay of biomechanical forces in PAH.
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spelling doaj-art-0cad98e6bb28475fa47a5efa0755528b2025-08-20T03:06:48ZengBMCBMC Pulmonary Medicine1471-24662025-04-0125111110.1186/s12890-025-03647-4Assessment of biomechanical properties in pulmonary arterial hypertension: a computational fluid dynamics study of the extensive pulmonary arterial treeJian Shi0Jianwen Liang1Jieting Wang2Hui Wang3Zhenyu Wang4Xiaocong Zhang5Guifu Wu6Shuai Tian7Wenbin Wei8Department of Cardiology, The Eighth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen UniversityDepartment of Cardiology, The Eighth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen UniversityDepartment of Cardiac Ultrasound, The Eighth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen UniversityDepartment of Cardiac Ultrasound, The Eighth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen UniversityDepartment of Cardiovascular Medicine, Shaanxi Provincial People’s HospitalDepartment of Cardiology, Foshan Fosun Chancheng HospitalDepartment of Cardiology, The Eighth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen UniversityDepartment of Cardiology, The Eighth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen UniversityDepartment of Cardiology, The Eighth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen UniversityAbstract Biomechanical forces play a central role in the pathophysiology of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Due to the numerous branches and complex structure of the pulmonary arteries, three-dimensional reconstruction poses significant challenges, resulting in a lack of comprehensive hemodynamic studies encompassing the entire pulmonary arterial tree in PAH. This study employs computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to evaluate the biomechanical properties of the extensive pulmonary artery tree (segmented up to 6 th-generation branches) in PAH. Key hemodynamic parameters, including velocity, wall shear stress (WSS), time-averaged wall shear stress (TAWSS), oscillatory shear index (OSI), and relative residence time (RRT), were meticulously computed. Results revealed a significant decrease in outlet cross-sectional area (p < 0.0001) and a notable increase in outlet velocity compared to the inlet (p < 0.05) and main body (p < 0.001). WSS in the proximal pulmonary artery was consistently lower than in the distal pulmonary artery for all subjects, with low TAWSS observed in proximal arteries. Helical flow patterns were predominantly seen in proximal pulmonary arteries of PAH subjects. Additionally, high OSI and RRT values were noted within the proximal arteries. This study provides a comprehensive evaluation of hemodynamic parameters in PAH, identifying velocity, WSS, OSI, and RRT as valuable markers of its distinct biomechanical characteristics. These findings shed light on the complex interplay of biomechanical forces in PAH.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12890-025-03647-4Pulmonary artery hypertensionHemodynamicWall shear stressOscillatory shear indexRelative residence time
spellingShingle Jian Shi
Jianwen Liang
Jieting Wang
Hui Wang
Zhenyu Wang
Xiaocong Zhang
Guifu Wu
Shuai Tian
Wenbin Wei
Assessment of biomechanical properties in pulmonary arterial hypertension: a computational fluid dynamics study of the extensive pulmonary arterial tree
BMC Pulmonary Medicine
Pulmonary artery hypertension
Hemodynamic
Wall shear stress
Oscillatory shear index
Relative residence time
title Assessment of biomechanical properties in pulmonary arterial hypertension: a computational fluid dynamics study of the extensive pulmonary arterial tree
title_full Assessment of biomechanical properties in pulmonary arterial hypertension: a computational fluid dynamics study of the extensive pulmonary arterial tree
title_fullStr Assessment of biomechanical properties in pulmonary arterial hypertension: a computational fluid dynamics study of the extensive pulmonary arterial tree
title_full_unstemmed Assessment of biomechanical properties in pulmonary arterial hypertension: a computational fluid dynamics study of the extensive pulmonary arterial tree
title_short Assessment of biomechanical properties in pulmonary arterial hypertension: a computational fluid dynamics study of the extensive pulmonary arterial tree
title_sort assessment of biomechanical properties in pulmonary arterial hypertension a computational fluid dynamics study of the extensive pulmonary arterial tree
topic Pulmonary artery hypertension
Hemodynamic
Wall shear stress
Oscillatory shear index
Relative residence time
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s12890-025-03647-4
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