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.