Protective properties of the arterial system against peripherally generated waves.

An anatomically detailed model consisting of a network of electric transmission lines is developed to simulate propagation of the pulse waves in humans. The simulations show that the real arterial tree geometry, together with the elastic and rheological parameters of particular segments, ensure an efficient protection of vital organs against pulse waves generated at peripheral locations. Because locomotive movements are the most obvious source of such disturbances, additional cyclic perturbations are applied to the model femoral arteries. It is shown that the impact of such peripherally generated pulse waves onto the pressure profiles at the ascending aorta and at other vital locations of the system is surprisingly weak independently of synchronization/desynchronization with the heart action period. This may witness to an intrinsically protective nature of the arterial tree anatomy in addition to its known functionality of the optimal blood supply at possibly low lumen volume. The extent of the protection is also studied in the presence of a complete arterial embolism at the left common carotid artery.