2. Parietal biomechanics

2.1 Vessel structure

Arteries, veins and capillaries share common structures and have specific features linked to their specific function.

The walls of arteries and veins are made up of three tunics surrounding the lumen:

• the intima, made up of endothelium resting on a sub-endothelium, plus possibly an internal elastic boundary;

• the media, the thickest layer. It contains smooth muscle cells and elastic fibers, and sometimes an external elastic boundary;

• the adventitia, which mainly contains collagen fibers that protect and fix the vessels. Tiny feeder vessels can be found in this tunic.

The blood vessel wall...