Ventricular and arterial wall stresses based on large deformation analyses.

Assuming a spherical geometry for the left ventricle and a cylindrical geometry for arteries, wall stresses and elastic stiffnesses are evaluated on the basis of a large elastic deformation theory. On the basis of canine pressure-volume data, the numerical results indicate marked gradients of stress in the endocardial layers even for thin-walled vessels, a result not predicted by the classical theory of elasticity. These high gradients of stress are due to the fact that the elastic stiffness of the wall material increases with the stress which reaches maximum levels in the endocardial layers. The high stresses may be responsible for ischemia of the left ventricle and be a triggering mechanism for atherosclerosis.