Establishment of Finite Element Model and Analysis of Airflow Characteristics in Patients with Nasal Structural Abnormalities / 中国医科大学学报

ABSTRACT

Objective To analyze the airflow characteristics and investigate the relationship of the structure and the function of nasal cavity by the three?dimensional reconstruction of nasal airway of patients with structural abnormalities(nasal septum deviation)and healthy people and the estab?lishment of finite element model by computer. Methods On the basis of CT imaging of the nasal cavity in patients with structural abnormalities(na?sal septum deviation,n=20)and healthy people(n=20),three?dimensional reconstruction of nasal airway was conducted by resurfacing finite ele?ment subdivision to simulate the characteristics of airflow in nasal cavity. Results The airflow mainly went through the commodious side of the nose in patients with nasal septum deviation and the maximum fluence appeared in the middle part of meatus nasi communis. The airway pressure de?creased most significantly in the most flank?curvature part of nasal septum deviation,accounting approximately 79.65%of the total pressure. In healthy people,the bilateral airflow was affected by nasal cycle and was mainly characterized by one nasal cavity,and the maximum fluence was ob?served in the middle and the inferior part of meatus nasi communis. The airway pressure decreased most significantly in limen nasi,accounting ap?proximately 58.78%of the total pressure. Conclusion Numerical modeling of nasal cavity can be used to analyze the relationship between the nasal structural abnormalities and the airflow characteristics,which is a scientific method to analyze the association of nasal structure and function with dis?ease and can be used for pre?and post?operative individual evaluation of operative therapeutic regimen targeting at optimizing airway and altering air?flow distribution.