  Knowledge of the mechanical properties of the aorta is essential as important
concerns regarding the treatment of aortic pathologies, such as
atherosclerosis, aneurysms and dissections, are fundamentally
mechanobiological. A comprehensive review is presented in the current chapter.
As the function of arteries is to carry blood to the peripheral organs, the
main biomechanical properties of interest are elasticity and rupture
properties. Regarding elastic properties, an essential parameter remains the
physiological linearized elastic modulus in the circumferential direction,
although sophisticated constitutive equations including hyperelasticity are
available to model the complex coupled roles played by collagen, elastin and
smooth muscle cells in the mechanics of the aorta. Regarding rupture
properties, tensile strengths in the axial and circumferential directions are
on the order of 1.5 MPa in the thoracic aorta and the radial strength, which is
important regarding dissections, is about 0.1 MPa. All these properties may
vary spatially and change with the adaptation of the aortic wall to different
conditions through growth and remodelling. The progression of diseases, such as
aneurysms and atherosclerosis, also manifests with alterations of these
material properties. After presenting how the mechanical properties of elastic
arteries, including the aorta, can be measured and how they can be used in
models to predict the biomechanical response of same under different
circumstances, a section will focus on the biomechanics of the ascending
thoracic aorta and the chapter will end with current challenges regarding
predictive numerical simulations for personalized medicine.
