Nonlinear Finite Element Analysis of Balloon Sinuplasty

Abstract

Balloon sinuplasty is a new surgical procedure used by doctors to treat patients suffered from sinusitis. The principle of this technique is similar to that used in balloon angioplasty for coronary artery atherosclerosis. The balloon sinuplasty has been approved by FDA and operations have been performed by ENT doctors. It has been claimed to be effective, safe, and less invasive. Nevertheless, further studies are needed in particular the biomechanics of the operation.

In the current research, we constructed a finite element model consisting of ostial walls, mucus, and a balloon in the ostium canal of maxillary sinuses. The balloon was inflated until the mucus was squeezed out from the ostium canal. Thereafter, the balloon was deflated and removed. The biomechanical behavior was then studied based on the deformations and stresses in the ostial bones. We also examined the wall pressure distribution with respect to the thinning of the mucus during the expansion process of the balloon. Moreover, the effect of balloon compliance was investigated.

The simulation results provide further insights into the principle of balloon sinuplasty and can serve as a guide for the design of the process with better performance. However, there are still some limitations in the current work. For examples, the material models for mucus is still primitive due to the limitation of the computer software; the loading and boundary conditions can only be approximated to some extent. We will address these issues in our future work.