Influence of bicuspid valve geometry on ascending aortic fluid-dynamics: a parametric study

Bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) predisposes to aortic aneurysms with a high prevalence. A first hypothesis of this phenomenon is related to fibrillin deficiency (genetic hypothesis). In this paper we focus on a complementary, haemodynamic hypothesis stating that is the peculiar fluid-dynamics of the blood in the ascending aorta in BAV configurations which leads to those conditions that facilitate the aneurysms’ formation. To corroborate that hypothesis, we perform a parametric study based on numerical simulations of ascending aorta hemodynamics in different configurations of orifice area and valve orientation. We investigate the resulting WSS distributions and degrees of asymmetry of the blood jet, and we introduce surrogate indices which may find direct application in clinical environments.