Computational Growth and Remodelling Models for Cardiovascular Biomechanics: A Systematic Review

This systematic review aims to identify, map, and critically appraise computational growth and remodelling (G&R) models applied to cardiovascular biomechanics. G&R frameworks describe the long-term adaptive response of biological tissues to mechanical stimuli, capturing changes in geometry, composition, and material properties that cannot be accounted for by purely geometric or static mechanical analyses. While narrative reviews have addressed aspects of computational G&R modelling within broader surveys of vascular constitutive frameworks or specific pathologies such as abdominal aortic aneurysms, no systematic review has comprehensively mapped the computational approaches, constitutive formulations, and validation strategies employed across the G&R literature for cardiovascular biomechanics. This review addresses that gap by applying a rigorous PRISMA-compliant methodology to systematically survey existing G&R models, with particular attention to their applicability to vascular tissues, including the aorta and its pathologies such as ascending thoracic aortic aneurysms (ATAAs). The review will follow the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. Relevant studies will be identified through systematic searches of major academic databases (e.g., PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science). The inclusion and exclusion criteria will be applied and the data will be extracted using a standardised form. The outcomes of this review are expected to inform the development of more robust, patient-specific computational tools for cardiovascular risk stratification and surgical decision support.