Worldwide, stroke is the second leading cause of death, responsible for 4.4 million (9 percent) of the total 50.5 million deaths each year. More than 4 million people in the United States have survived a stroke or brain attack and are living with the aftereffects. It has been reported that the carotid siphon is the site most susceptible to atherosclerotic lesions in the human intracranial arteries, directly affecting the cerebral blood supply. The relatively complex geometry containing out of plane curves has a great impact on the associated hemodynamic, which plays a significant role on the atherogenesis. There are medical reports that indicate atherosclerotic stenoses is widely observed in different sites of internal carotid artery (ICA). Relatively few studies have examined the geometrical features of these arteries to identify regions of low or oscillatory shear stress that contributes to atherogenesis. However, there are still some conflictions about risky sites in these arteries, which require further studies. Furthermore, previous studies include some simplifications especially on the blood flow profiles that bring some uncertainties regarding their findings. Therefore, the purpose of the present study is to investigate the blood flow patterns in ICA to identify the risky sites prone to atherosclerosis. Geometrical models are made based on the clinical studies about the classification of internal carotid siphon geometry. Three different geometries of the ICA were simulated by Open source CFD software Open FOAM. In the present study, flow patterns and wall shear stresses have been examined extensively and the preferred sites of stenoses along the carotid siphon of the different geometries of the ICA are identified.

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