LaPlace's law

Last revised by Henry Knipe on 27 Jul 2022

LaPlace's law is useful in thinking about dilated tubular structures, such as the bowel or vessels (e.g. aortic aneurysms). The relationship between wall tension and radius shows why more dilated regions of a tube develop more wall stress and therefore are at higher risk for perforation:

  • wall tension = intraluminal pressure × radius

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