Role of Vessel Microstructure in the Longevity of End-to-Side Grafts

Compliance mismatch between the graft and the host artery of an end-to-side (ETS) arterial bypass graft anastomosis increases the intramural stress in the ETS graft–artery junction, and thus may compromise its long-term patency. The present study takes into account the effects of collagen fibers to demonstrate how their orientations alter the stresses. The stresses in an ETS bypass graft anastomosis, as a man-made bifurcation, are compared to...