Selectively Compliant Annuloplasty Ring to Enable Annular Dynamics in Mitral Valve Repair Evaluated by In-Vitro Stereovision

Mitral valve (MV) annular dynamics are critical to the long term efficacy of MV repair. Today’s annuloplasty rings, used to restore MV function, impose significant constraints on the motion profile of the MV annulus. We present a selectively compliant ring that provides sufficient stiffness to stabilize a diseased annulus while allowing physiological annular dynamics. Ring design is informed by a finite element analysis and experimentally evaluated with in-vitro stereophotogrammetry. We compare the ring dynamics to commercially available semi-rigid rings as well as values found in literature for healthy annuli. The results demonstrate that motion of the selectively compliant ring is significantly closer to that of a healthy annulus based on standard metrics that define MV annular movement. Specifically, the metrics for the new ring compare to those in literature as follows: change in orifice area 12.5 ± 3% vs.10 ± 2%; change in anterior-posterior diam. 5.4 ± 0.3% vs. 7 ± 1%; change in inter-commissural diam. 6.6 ± 1.3% vs. 5 ± 1%.