Longitudinal and radial distensibility of the porcine aortic root

The aortic root has been shown to be a highly distensible structure. The function of the aortic valve is intimately related to the expansion of the aortic root, and current nonexpansible stent designs may affect its performance. We therefore measured the radial and longitudinal expansion of the porcine aortic root as a function of pressure in both a static pressurization model and in an isolated working heart model. The radial and longitudinal …