Background
The motion of aortic root due to heart traction was previously suggested to contribute to proximal aortic dissection. The 4D motion of the aorta is recognisable with dynamic image acquisition (multiphase ECG-gated contrast-enhanced CT). However, both displacement and rotation in quantitative terms still remain unknown. The objective is to investigate the motion of aortic root from dynamic CT images in quantitative terms.

Methods
40 patients’ dynamic CT images for coronary assessment have been identified from PACS at Royal Brompton and Harefield hospital. All images were acquired under the same scanning protocol and no aortopathy had been identified. The scans were triggered by ECG and consist of 10 evenly spaced phases (0%-90%) in a cardiac cycle. The end diastolic phase (0%) was used as reference phase and the three commissures of leaflets were manually marked to identify the plane of sinotubular junction (STJ) by image post-processing software. A patient-specific coordinate system was created at the centre of STJ with the Z-axis parallel to the local longitudinal direction. Both the ostia of the left and right coronary were chosen as landmarks and traced at each phase. The coordinates of the two coronary ostia were transferred to the patient-specific coordinate system to quantify the motion normal to STJ plane (out-plane), the motion within STJ plane (in-plane) and the twist motion.

Results
A total of 40 patients enrolled for this study with a mean age 65±12, and 14 patients were male (35%). The out-plane motion was recorded the largest displacement with 10.03±2.90 and 9.30±2.36 mm referenced by the left and right coronary ostium, respectively. The mean downward movement of aortic root is 9.10±2.38 mm. The STJ in-plane motion was 7.56±3.01 and 6.65±2.74 mm for left coronary ostium, compared with 6.65±2.74 and 6.54±2.51 mm for right coronary ostium. The twisting of the aortic root is 10.78±4.88 degree.

Conclusion
The in vivo spatial and temporal displacement of the aortic root can be identified and quantified from multiphase ECG-gated contrast-enhanced CT images. Knowledge of normal 4D motion of the aortic root may help understand its biomechanical impact in patients with any aortopathy.