Biomechanical and Microstructural Properties of Ascending Aortic Aneurysms

June 28, 2024 updated by: Universitaire Ziekenhuizen KU Leuven

BIOMECHANICAL AND MICROSTRUCTURAL PROPERTIES OF THE AORTIC WALL: A Pilot Study in Patients Undergoing Surgery for Ascending Aortic Aneurysms

An aortic aneurysm (thoracic or abdominal) is a permanent dilatation of the aorta caused by weakening in the arterial wall. The feared complication is aortic rupture or dissection, leading to potentially lethal aortic bleeding and associated with mortality rates up to 95%. The current diagnosis criteria do not suffice, therefore the goal of this study is the development of an improved biomechanics-based and microstructural-based diagnostic tool.

Study Overview

Status

Recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

An aortic aneurysm (thoracic or abdominal) is a permanent dilatation of the aorta caused by weakening in the arterial wall. The feared complication is aortic rupture or dissection, leading to potentially lethal aortic bleeding and associated with mortality rates up to 95%. Diagnosis of the aneurysm and especially its risk of rupture or dissection is highly challenging. If the aneurysm diameter and/or growth rate exceed a specific threshold (respectively 55 mm and 1 cm/year), a highly invasive and dangerous surgery is performed. However, several studies have shown no correlation between the maximum transverse diameter and the risk of rupture or dissection. Since aneurysm rupture is associated with multiple aortic tissue properties, both biomechanics-based and microstructurally-based criteria can be a promising alternative.

The overall goal of this trial is a biomechanical and microstructural analysis of aneurysms to improve the diagnostic criterion for aneurysm rupture risk. Within this goal, two scientific objectives can be distinguished. Firstly, a highly unique dataset with patient data allowing the development of an improved diagnostic tool will be created. This dataset will contain an abundance of relevant parameters such as patient characteristics, geometry, material properties and biomechanical and microstructural characteristics. The biomechanical and microstructural data will be obtained by the analysis of resected aneurysmal tissue and by dynamic imaging (4D CT). 4D CT scans are a series of ECG-gated scans that are taken at specified intervals in the cardiac circle. The second objective is to create a personalized diagnostic tool. An aneurysm rupture risk criteria based on geometry as well as biomechanical and microstructural properties is expected to be significantly more reliable than the current criteria. More specifically, a correlation between patient characteristics that can be measured non-invasively and the aneurysm rupture risk is searched for.

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

180

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

    • Vlaams Brabant
      • Leuven, Vlaams Brabant, Belgium, 3000

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Patients suffering from ATAA

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Patients suffering from thoracic aortic aneurysms (ATAA), asymptomatic or symptomatic.
  • Patients with ruptured ATAA undergoing an emergency surgery.
  • Signed informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Patients with ruptured ATAA due to trauma.
  • The presence of any aneurysm feature that will prevent the collection of tissue samples suitable for the biomechanical and microstructural studies.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Intervention / Treatment
Ascending thoracic aortic aneurysm

Biomechanical and microstructural analysis of ATAA

ECG-gated CT

Tissue collection; microstructural testing of tissue; mechanical testing of tissue .
Image analysis of ECG-gated CT.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Data collection of patients suffering from thoracic aortic aneurysms
Time Frame: 6 years
General information (age, gender, height, weight, BMI); medicinal usage (beta-blockers, ACE inhibitors, statins, angiotensin receptor blockers, ...); cardiovascular risk factors (smoking, hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes, atrial fibrillation); cardiovascular properties (tricuspid aortic valve, inherited aortopathies, abdominal aortic aneurysm, prior open heart surgery, ...)
6 years

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Investigation of correlation between rupture risk and mechanical and microstructural parameters
Time Frame: 6 years
Mechanical properties (linear and non-linear stiffness) and histological properties (elastin fraction, collagen fraction, inflammation status, wall thickness)
6 years

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Bart Meuris, PhD, UZ Leuven

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

January 1, 2017

Primary Completion (Estimated)

December 1, 2025

Study Completion (Estimated)

December 1, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

October 6, 2016

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 2, 2017

First Posted (Actual)

May 5, 2017

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

July 1, 2024

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 28, 2024

Last Verified

June 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

Other Study ID Numbers

  • S59521

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

Clinical Trials on Thoracic Aortic Aneurysms

Clinical Trials on Biomechanical and microstructural analysis of ATAA

Search Similar Trials