Multiscale computational modeling of arterial micromechanics: A review

The mechanical properties of arterial tissue play a central role in healthy human physiology and have therefore been extensively studied and modeled in recent decades. These properties are closely related to the microstructural features of the tissue and at the same time can have a significant influence on them because the arterial microstructure is maintained (and in some cases remodeled) at the microscopic level by vascular cells that can sense and respond to mechanical stimuli. This review addresses multiscale computational models based on representative volume elements (RVEs), which constitute an excellent tool for studying this micro–macro relationship. First, a comprehensive discussion on arterial biomechanics with emphasis on microstructural aspects is presented to underpin the subsequent discussion of RVE-based models and examine their geometrical, constitutive and kinematic assumptions. Second, a series of selected results is then presented to highlight the predictive and descriptive capabilities of the models. Finally, some directions for future work are suggested.