Understanding Atherosclerosis Pathophysiology: Can Additive Manufacturing Be Helpful?

Abstract

Atherosclerosis is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Although this subject arouses much interest, there are limitations associated with the biomechanical investigation done in atherosclerotic tissues, namely the unstandardized tests for the mechanical characterization of these tissues and the inherent non-consensual results obtained. The variability of tests and typologies of samples hampers direct comparisons between results and hinders the complete understanding of the pathologic process involved in atherosclerosis development and progression. Therefore, a consensual and definitive evaluation of the mechanical properties of healthy and atherosclerotic blood vessels would allow the production of physical biomodels that could be used for surgeons’ training and personalized surgical planning. Additive manufacturing (AM), commonly known as 3D printing, has attracted significant attention due to the potential to fabricate biomodels rapidly. However, the existing literature regarding 3D-printed atherosclerotic vascular models is still very limited. Consequently, this review intends to present the atherosclerosis disease and the consequences of this pathology, discuss the mechanical characterization of atherosclerotic vessels/plaques, and introduce AM as a potential strategy to increase the understanding of atherosclerosis treatment and pathophysiology.

Coronary artery properties in atherosclerosis: A deep learning predictive model

“…10.3389/fphys.2023 The mechanical characterization of atherosclerotic arteries has been shown to be valuable for diagnosing vulnerable plaques. Additive manufacturing can leverage this mechanical characterization to create replicas that can be useful in surgical simulation (Henriques et al, 2023). In addition, other approaches, such as the one proposed by Gold et al (2019), highlight the importance of mechanical characterization of each layer of the artery in developing predictive models of vascular pathophysiology.…”

“…The mechanical characterization of atherosclerotic arteries has been shown to be valuable for diagnosing vulnerable plaques. Additive manufacturing can leverage this mechanical characterization to create replicas that can be useful in surgical simulation ( Henriques et al., 2023 ). In addition, other approaches, such as the one proposed by Gold et al.…”