Flow in carotid bifurcations: effect of the superior thyroid artery

• Published in: Medical engineering & physics 1999-05, Vol.21 (4), p.207-214
• Main Authors: Zhao, S.Z, Xu, X.Y, Collins, M.W, Stanton, A.V, Hughes, A.D, Thom, S.A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Arteries - physiology; Biological and medical sciences; Biophysical Phenomena; Biophysics; Blood Flow Velocity - physiology; Blood vessels; Carotid Artery, Common - physiology; Carotid bifurcation; CFD; Child; Computational fluid dynamics; Flow patterns; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Haemodynamics; Hemodynamics. Rheology; Humans; Models, Cardiovascular; Pulsatile Flow - physiology; Regional Blood Flow - physiology; Shear flow; Shear stress; Superior thyroid artery; Thyroid Gland - blood supply; Vertebrates: cardiovascular system; Wall flow; Wall shear stress
• ISSN: 1350-4533; 1873-4030
• DOI: 10.1016/S1350-4533(99)00046-6

The superior thyroid artery was ignored in previous fluid dynamics studies of carotid bifurcations. However, it is not clear to what extent the flow patterns within the carotid might be influenced by the presence of this outflow tract in reality. In this study, quantitative effects of the superior thyroid artery upon the flow patterns and wall shear stress in the carotid bifurcation were investigated in detail by a numerical simulation method. Comparisons of the maximum reversed flow velocities, flow patterns and wall shear stress were made between models with and without the superior thyroid artery. Results demonstrate that this small artery has only a marginal effect on the overall flow characteristics within the carotid sinus. However, it does have significant effects on flow patterns in the common-external side branch. An alternative approach is proposed to compensate for the absence of this small artery in numerical calculations.