Stresses and strains in the passive left ventricle

In this paper, we estimate the stresses and strains from the equatorial region down to the apex of the heart by modeling the passive left ventricle as a frustrum of a thick hollow cone. Large deformation theory has been employed in this analysis. Furthermore, the effects of residual stresses and the anisotropy due to muscle fiber orientation have been included. It is observed that circumferential stress, which is the most important physiologically, decreases considerably at the endocardium and is more evenly distributed through the wall when residual stresses are taken into account. The stresses also decrease as we go from the equatorial region to the apex. Because heart muscles physically have residual stresses, the consequent lower stress gradient through the wall enhances the diastolic function of the left ventricle.