Linking Microstructure to Mechanics: Microscale Characterization and Modeling of Arterial Tissue
(2026)
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- Abstract
- Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide. In condition such as atherosclerosis, arterial microstructure changes significantly: fatty deposits narrow the artery, while collagen buildup and elastin degradation stiffen the wall. Treatments such as balloon angioplasty aim to reopen the artery but often trigger inflammation, causing further remodeling and re-occlusion. Two essential proteins, elastin and collagen, are crucial to the passive mechanical behavior of arteries, and their remodeling is a hallmark of disease progression and treatment failure. Understanding how these microstructural alterations affect mechanical behavior is therefore critical for improving therapeutic strategies. Computational modeling offers a powerful way to explore these relationships and predict their impact. Existing models are largely phenomenological, relying on a few parameters and containing little information on the microstructure. To address this gap, this thesis introduces a microstructure-inspired microscale model that integrates imaging and mechanical data. Robust imaging protocols were developed using contrast-enhanced microcomputed tomography (CECT) to quantify features such as fiber thickness, orientation, and tortuosity in 3D. Mechanical characterization was performed to obtain arterial mechanical behavior. Finally, a computational framework based on representative volume elements (RVEs) was developed. This approach discretely incorporates arterial components and surpasses traditional constitutive models by capturing the contributions of elastin, collagen, and smooth muscle cells. The model predicts arterial mechanical behavior from its microstructural composition and can serve as an extrapolation tool to explore different pathologies across disease stages, as well as to simulate and plan treatments. In summary, this work bridges imaging, mechanics, and modeling to advance understanding of arterial biomechanics and lays the foundation for improved treatment strategies and future research on diseased tissues.
- Affiliations
UCLouvain SST/IMMC/MEED - Mechatronic, Electrical Energy, and Dynamics Systems
Citations
Pétré, M. (2026). Linking Microstructure to Mechanics: Microscale Characterization and Modeling of Arterial Tissue. https://hdl.handle.net/2078.5/272048