Simultaneous radial displacement of the anterior and posterior walls of the central and peripheral arteries: Beat-like vs peristaltic motion.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to explore and compare the simultaneous motion patterns of the anterior and posterior walls of the elastic and conduit arteries in healthy subjects. APPROACH: Temporal waveforms of the radial motion of the anterior and posterior walls and the internal diameter were extracted from B-mode consecutive ultrasound images of common, internal and external carotid arteries as well as the brachial and abdominal aorta arteries of 14 healthy subjects (32±10 yrs). The resulting waveforms were classified and compared across different arteries. RESULTS: In the present study, two distinct distention wave patterns, termed peristaltic and beat-like motions, were reported for the first time in arteries throughout the arterial tree. The probability of each type of dilation pattern depends on the artery location. Moreover, our results indicated that the magnitude of the radial displacement in peristaltic expansion wave propagation is greater than that in the beat-like pattern, but only in the common, external and internal carotids are the differences statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Relative wall displacement across different anatomical sites has not been studied previously. Accurate assessment of the motion patterns of different arteries in healthy and atherosclerotic subjects may provide deeper insight into artery wall physiology and dynamics. PLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARY: Arteries expand and move with each heartbeat, but the way different artery walls move together is not fully understood. This study used ultrasound images from healthy adults to compare movement patterns in several arteries throughout the body. This study found two distinct patterns of artery wall movement, called peristaltic and beat-like motions, and showed that the type and size of these movements varied depending on the artery being examined. This matters because a better understanding of normal artery movement may help researchers and clinicians learn more about blood vessel health and disease in the future.