Challenges of the 21st Century: Part 4 - Interventional Anatomy: a case-based discussion

Dynamic coronary angiography applies the principles of hydraulics to blood flow and examines the relationship between anatomical structure of the artery and fluid mechanics. Both normal anatomy and anatomic variation in the coronary arteries change blood flow, and can produce an environment favorable for cavitation phenomenon and the development of coronary lesions. Thus, the anatomy of the coronary arteries in a patient can be used as a predicative factor (i.e., predictive anatomy) of where lesion formation will occur. Anatomical preservation by medicine, or restoration of natural anatomy by advance anatomical intervention, restores laminar flow patterns and lessens the chances for vessel injury. This novel model presented in this manuscript symposium represents a new and provocative way of thinking for anatomists and cardiologists, and demonstrates how anatomy research continues to be important in the modern era.