An Overview of Computational Fluid Dynamics Preoperative Analysis of the Nasal Airway

Abstract

Evaluation of the nasal airway is crucial for every patient with symptoms of nasal obstruction as well as for every patient with other nasal symptoms. This assessment of the nasal airway comprises clinical examination together with imaging studies, with the correlation between findings of this evaluation and symptoms reported by the patient being based on the experience of the surgeon. Measuring nasal airway resistance or nasal airflow can provide additional data regarding the nasal airway, but the benefit of these objective measurements is limited due to their lack of correlation with patient-reported evaluation of nasal breathing. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) has emerged as a valuable tool to assess the nasal airway, as it provides objective measurements that correlate with patient-reported evaluation of nasal breathing. CFD is able to evaluate nasal airflow and measure variables such as heat transfer or nasal wall shear stress, which seem to reflect the activity of the nasal trigeminal sensitive endings that provide sensation of nasal breathing. Furthermore, CFD has the unique capacity of making airway analysis of virtual surgery, predicting airflow changes after trial virtual modifications of the nasal airway. Thereby, CFD can assist the surgeon in deciding surgery and selecting the surgical techniques that better address the features of each specific nose. CFD has thus become a trend in nasal airflow assessment, providing reliable results that have been validated for analyzing airflow in the human nasal cavity. All these features make CFD analysis a mainstay in the armamentarium of the nasal surgeon. CFD analysis may become the gold standard for preoperative assessment of the nasal airway.

Computational Fluid Dynamics Could Enable Individualized Surgical Treatment of Nasal Obstruction (A Preliminary Study)

“…Gender, racial, and ethnic differences in nasal anatomy and function need to be considered as well [ 22 ]. Another limit of the study is that our CFD model does not take account of some parameters which play a role in respiratory dynamics, such as heat transfer from the air to the nasal mucosa, wall shear stress, airstream velocity, and streamlines [ 23 ].…”

Computational fluid dynamics in root canal irrigation

“…18,19 In recent years, CFD has become an important tool in the field of biomedical research, such as the analysis of blood flow in the blood vessel [20][21][22] and gas flow in the respiratory system. 23,24 The numerical model can be used for theoretical simulation of some physical conditions and numerical study of parameters after experimental validation. 24 Gao et al 25 concluded that CFD based on the SST K-ω turbulence model could be used as a research platform for root canal irrigation through in vitro irrigation model validation.…”

“…CFD was first applied in the field of engineering 18,19 . In recent years, CFD has become an important tool in the field of biomedical research, such as the analysis of blood flow in the blood vessel 20–22 and gas flow in the respiratory system 23,24 …”

Respiratory Fluid Mechanics of the Effect of Mouth Breathing on High-Arched Palate: Computational Fluid Dynamics Analyses

“…Therefore, it can be seen as an effective way to study airflow in nasal cavity. 9 Many scholars have developed models of the upper airway and performed finite element analyses. Zhao et al 10 studied the upper airway after maxillary skeletal expansion treatment by CFD, and suggested that Maxillary Skeletal Expansion appliance may show positive effects in the improvement of upper airway cross-sectional areas and reduction of upper airway resistance and velocity.…”

“…Recently, CFD has been used as a noninvasive method to simulate flow behavior. Therefore, it can be seen as an effective way to study airflow in nasal cavity 9 . Many scholars have developed models of the upper airway and performed finite element analyses.…”