Computational analysis of non-Newtonian blood flow in stenosed arteries

This study examines the hemodynamics of non-Newtonian blood flow in stenosed arteries, focusing on the roles of stenosis severity, guidewire presence, and various non-Newtonian constitutive models. Computational simulations using the generalized power-law, Casson, and Carreau-Yasuda models are conducted for stenosis severities of 50%, 70%, 80%, and 90%. Results indicate that stenosis severity exerts the greatest influence on pressure and wall shear stress (WSS), with increasing severity leading to higher pressure drops and WSS maxima. Guidewire presence reduces recirculation zone lengths by nearly 60% across different severities and raises the trans-stenotic pressure drop up to 120%. While the choice of constitutive model has minimal impact on hemodynamics within the stenotic region, it becomes crucial in healthy vessels, where non-Newtonian effects are more pronounced. In cases with a guidewire, pressure gradients in the healthy region show up to 18.8% differences between non-Newtonian models. These findings highlight the dominant roles of stenosis severity and guidewire presence in shaping hemodynamics within stenotic regions while emphasizing the need for precise constitutive modeling to capture flow characteristics in healthy vascular segments.