Can bioprosthetic valve thrombosis be promoted by aortic root morphology? An in vitro study.

Objectives: Bioprosthetic valve thrombosis has been considered uncommon, but recent studies have shown that it is more frequent than previously thought. Insufficient washout of the aortic sinus is believed to be a risk factor for bioprosthetic valve thrombosis. The objective of this in vitro experiment was to investigate the impact of aortic root morphology on blood flow in the aortic sinus and to relate these results to in vivo data obtained in patients with a transcatheter aortic valve implant.

Aortic root stiffness affects the kinematics of bioprosthetic aortic valves.

Objectives: In this study, the influence of aortic root distensibility on the haemodynamic parameters and valve kinematics of a bioprosthetic aortic valve was investigated in a controlled in vitro experiment.

Methods: An Edwards INTUITY Elite 21 mm sutureless aortic valve (Edwards Lifesciences, Irvine, CA, USA) was inserted in three transparent aortic root phantoms with different wall thicknesses (0.55, 0.