With aid of the pulse pressure and radius wave form of the AO as input to a mechanical model, a set of aortic wall parameters can be identified describing different properties of the aortic wall, e.g. elastin, collagen content and distribution. This makes it possible to perform a deeper analysis of the components in the wall and the acting forces (VaMoS) ¹. To facilitate the use of VaMoS it would be preferable to use a more accessible arterial pressure wave form as indata. The aim was to test if pressure curves taken from the brachial artery would be an acceptable substitute for the AO in the VaMoS computations.

Pulsatile diameter change in the AO was registered with aid of a wall track system, and pressure curves measured simultaneously in the AO and the brachial artery with aid of Millar catheters in healthy volunteers (n= 29, 23–72 years).

There were significant differences in 4 out of 6 aortic wall parameters when pressure curves from brachial artery was compared with AO, emphasizing that the VaMoS computation is sensitive to the pulse wave form and that pressure curves in the brachial artery is not an acceptable substitute for the AO when using VaMoS. A transfer function between the brachial and AO pressure curve form might lead to more accurate results.