Biomechanical Analysis of Stresses and Strains of the Healthy Aortic Valve and Its Congenital Variants Throughout the Cardiac Cycle: A Finite Element Approach

To fully understand valve function and evaluate valve dynamics in patients with valvular diseases, it is crucial to model the biomechanical behavior of the valve. The primary objective of this study is to develop an innovative, patient-specific computational framework to assess stress and strain deformation throughout the cardiac cycle using finite element analysis. Three aortic valve models-tricuspid (TAV), bicuspid type 0 (BAV Type 0), bicuspid type 1 (BAV Type 1), and quadricuspid (QAV)-were created from transesophageal echocardiography images using a combination of MATLAB and Blender functionalities. A dynamic stress and strain analysis, assuming a combination of linear elastic and nonlinear hyperelastic material properties, was employed for the simulation (FEATool). The valves were subjected to a set of stresses as initial conditions, with a surface-dependent variable pressure profile as a boundary condition. Two numerical solvers, linear (MUMPS) and nonlinear (FEniCS), were employed to ensure convergence of the results. Mechanically, the models reveal significant distinctions, primarily driven by differences in morphology, as demonstrated by the simulation performed. The BAV (Type 0 and Type 1) and QAV models, which have an asymmetric structure, provided greater concentrations of stress distribution as well as localized deformations. Our approach allows us to quantify the impact of valvular morphology on stress and strain distribution. These findings enhance our understanding of the biomechanical mechanisms that may impact disease progression in valvular abnormalities and inform personalized treatment approaches.