Electromechanics modeling of the effects of myocardial infarction on left ventricular function

Ventricular remodeling may occur following myocardial infarction of the left ventricle (LV) and such remodeling has been shown to be correlated with increased patient morbidity and mortality. It is thus important to estimate the likelihood of remodeling from the state of the infarcted LV. In this paper, we present simulations from an actively-contracting truncated ellipsoid LV model, incorporating realistic fiber orientation and electromechanical properties, to investigate the effects of infarct size and transmural extent (TME) on myofiber regional mechanics. Results showed that transmural infarcts greatly elevated both the myofiber stress and strain at the border zone during end systole, making the LV more susceptible to structural remodeling. It was found that TME rather than infarct size was more predictive of LV remodeling.