An 11 mm systolic up-and-down motion of the aortic annulus was applied in all simulations (Fig. 3). The branches of the aortic arch were virtually suspended to allow stretching of the ascending aorta during systole and the movement on the Y axis. The distal part of the model, which corresponds to the proximal part of the descending aorta, was immobilized so that it could only be rotated around the Z axis. The tissues around the aorta were not simulated.