Analysis of Urine Flow in Three Different Ureter Models.

Abstract

The ureter provides a way for urine to flow from the kidney to the bladder. Peristalsis in the ureter partially forces the urine flow, along with hydrostatic pressure. Ureteral diseases and a double J stent, which is commonly inserted in a ureteral stenosis or occlusion, disturb normal peristalsis. Ineffective or no peristalsis could make the contour of the ureter a tube, a funnel, or a combination of the two. In this study, we investigated urine flow in the abnormal situation. We made three different, curved tubular, funnel-shaped, and undulated ureter models that were based on human anatomy. A numerical analysis of the urine flow rate and pattern in the ureter was performed for a combination of the three different ureters, with and without a ureteral stenosis and with four different types of double J stents. The three ureters showed a difference in urine flow rate and pattern. Luminal flow rate was affected by ureter shape. The side holes of a double J stent played a different role in detour, which depended on ureter geometry.

• Authors: Kyung-Wuk Kim, Young Ho Choi, Seung Bae Lee, Yasutaka Baba, Hyoung-Ho Kim, Sang-Ho Suh
• Journal: Computational and mathematical methods in medicine (Comput Math Methods Med) Vol. 2017 Pg. 5172641 ( 2017) ISSN: 1748-6718 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 28659992 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Topics

• Humans
• Models, Biological
• Peristalsis
• Stents
• Ureter (anatomy & histology, physiology)