Fluid mechanics of stenosed arteries

A finite difference scheme is used to investigate flow in a tube with an occlusion. The results are interpreted in the context of blood flow in stenosed arteries. Numerical results for steady and pulsatile flows confirm, in a quantitative sense, that a high shear stress is not likely to initiate atherosclerosis lesions. The study of unsteady flow reveals several interesting new features. It appears that there is a correlation between regions of recirculation, which are a prominent feature of the unsteady flow, and the location of lesions. Experimental measurements for steady flow complement the numerical study and show qualitative agreement.