Mechanics of continuous media in vascular neurosurgery and endovascular neuroradiological procedures

Cerebral aneurysms and atherosclerosis share not only a high rate of morbidity and mortality, but also its location. It suggests that hemodynamic factors contribute to their development. Quantification of hemodynamic forces is complicated, especially in intracranial arteries. However, recent advances in computational mechanics have allowed calculating the magnitude and distribution of these forces in arterial models with the help of techniques of computational fluid dynamics. However, the understanding of these models and verification of their validity and limitations depend on the knowledge of its design and hemodynamic parameters. Furthermore, the determination of mechanical properties of the arterial walls is crucial, not only for the understanding of the changes of the cardiovascular system in time and the causes of the injuries that they develop, as well as to the realization of angioplasty, planning of arterial bypass or the selection of endovascular prosthesis, for example. Thus, concepts on mechanics of continuous media are needed in the body of knowledge of all interested in cerebrovascular disease. In this review, we look the fundamental concepts used in the formulation of the problems of the mechanics of continuous media, focusing on biomechanics research of vascular lesions, in order to provide some definitions that promote the critical analysis of the results in this field. The most important contribution that we can get from the knowledge of biomechanics, in general, and from the mechanics of continuous media, in particular, is a better understanding of physiology.