Finite element modelling of cardiac mechanics

Echocardiographic short axis and two-chamber images were used to generate two- and three-dimensional models of the ventricles using finite brick elements. The cardiac borders were extracted by an automated edge detection algorithm. Subsequently, heuristic feature extraction determined the true shape of the heart throughout the cardiac cycle. Mechanical properties were assigned on the basis of reported myocardial tissue characteristics. The finite-element method was used to estimate elastic deformation at each brick in the ventricles. Dynamic displays of deformation were generated to provide a visual animation of cardiac mechanics throughout the cardiac cycle. The results allow quantitative analysis of regional wall dynamics and wall stress