Finite Element Analysis of Renal Tissue Biomechanics During Shear Wave Elastography

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a medical condition that results in irreversible tissue scarring, thus leading to kidney failure. This signals the need for early detection of the disease. Ultrasound shear wave elastography (SWE) is a non-invasive method, which detects the progression of CKD based on changes in tissue stiffness. However, obtaining consistent results have proven to be challenging owing to the complex nature of kidneys. As such, this thesis employs a computational approach to investigate the renal tissue biomechanics that occur during SWE. From this understanding, methods to improve CKD detection are proposed.