Numerical investigations on the impact of aortic arch inclusion on hemodynamics of abdominal healthy and aneurysmal aorta

This numerical study evaluates the impact of including the aortic arch in in-vivo and in-silico studies, by comparing an abdominal healthy aorta model to an aneurysmal one. CFD simulations were performed using OpenFOAM, with patient-specific blood flow data. Wall shear stress indices (TAWSS, OSI, RRT) and vortex distributions (Q criterion) were analyzed. The results show that the aortic arch amplifies blood flow disturbances, leading to a reduction in TAWSS and an increase in OSI, which may enhance the risk of potential thrombosis. Simplified models without the arch underestimate these effects. The influence of the aortic arch is more pronounced in the abdominal healthy aorta than in the abdominal aortic aneurysm, highlighting the importance of including it in hemodynamic simulations for a more accurate risk assessment.