Authors
Sahan Jayatissa, Joanna L James, Alys R Clark
Published in
Placenta. Sep 09, 2026. Epub Sep 09, 2026.
Abstract
Biomechanical computational modelling has been used since the 1980s to understand the health of the placenta, and to interpret clinical imaging in pregnancy. In the last few decades, alongside rapid advances in computing power and imaging technologies, biomechanical computational models have been developed that enable researchers to link anatomy to function across temporal and spatial scales. Blood flow through the feto-placental or utero-placental circulations has been a key focus of many of these models, due to the functional importance of these dynamically linked circulations in facilitating exchange of nutrients, oxygen and wastes, and in turn ensuring healthy fetal growth. This review aims to analyse the current state-of-the-art biomechanical models of fetal and maternal blood flow in the placenta, including lumped parameter, computational fluid dynamics, and network models. We consider how different models have been parameterized by data from an array of imaging technologies, from in vivo ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging, to ex vivo computed tomography and histology data. Building on this, we incorporate learnings from the wider field of cardiovascular biomechanics to suggest future focus areas to further improve the insight gained from computational modelling approaches in pregnancy, and improve future interpretation of diagnostic imaging in this setting.
PMID:
42749589
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 17 Sep 2026.
Read full publication at:
Please sign in
to see all details.
Advertisement
Stats
- Recommendations n/a n/a positive of 0 vote(s)
- Views 14
- Comments 0