Stresses, strains, and surface pressures in the lung caused by its weight.

In an effort to understand how the lung is deformed by its own weight, we have analyzed the distribution of regional expansion, stresses, and surface pressures in a theoretical elastic lung-shaped model using the technique of finite elements. In the upright position, the parenchyma was most expanded at the apex and least at the base. Stresses in both the vertical and lateral directions were maximal at the apex. As the lung was inflated from very low volumes to total lung capacity, parenchymal expansion and stress at the apex first decreased, then increased. This behavior can be explained by the increasing rigidity of the expanded lung which enabled it to resist distortion by its own weight. At functional residual capacity, the stress at the apex was near its minimum. The differences in intrapleural pressure down the lung were volume dependent, increasing at very low volumes. In the inverted lung, the regional differences in stress, strain, and surface pressures were less marked because of the shape of the chest.