Objective: Our study was designed to assess the applicability of MR velocity mapping for vector analysis of the hemodynamics of atherogenesis.
Subjects and methods: MR velocity mapping was used to measure axial and nonaxial elements and the length of the wall shear rate (a spatial gradient of near-wall flow velocity parallel to the vessel wall) vector at 16 time points per cardiac cycle at eight anatomic locations of the thoracic aorta in six healthy subjects. An oscillatory shear index (a ratio of blood flow volume in the recessive direction divided by the sum of blood flow volume in both dominant and recessive directions) was introduced for analysis of the degree of oscillation.
Results: The time-averaged length, axial element, and nonaxial element of the wall shear rate vector were 118+/-53 sec(-1), 106+/-55 sec(-1), and 33+/-23 sec(-1), respectively. The oscillatory shear index in the axial direction was 0.06+/-0.10 and that in the nonaxial direction was 0.07+/-0.13. At the inner wall of the distal portion of the aortic arch, the length of the wall shear rate was smallest (74+/-32 sec(-1)) and oscillation in the axial direction was largest (0.16+/-0.19).
Conclusion: Vector analysis of the wall shear rate in the thoracic aorta was successfully done with MR velocity mapping in humans. MR velocity mapping can noninvasively evaluate the hemodynamics of atherogenesis induced by the complicated blood flow.