Fibrin elasticity and coagulation

Abstract

Sudden increase of viscosity in former times indicated the start of coagulation. Yet its measurement destroyed the structure of coagulum. By the precursor method of thrombelastography the author 1944 found elasticity to be the essential physiological property of coagulum. In the production of elastic fibrin structure its early phase is the most efficient in this respect. The speed of prime structure formation is extremely fast in presence of enough phospholipid as well as of plasma factor XIII. Even high amounts of thrombin cannot replace one or both of these substances indispensable to grow rapidly a perfect fibrin web. This phase yet does not become effective if it is not accompanied by the orbital micro-flow of the new orbitometry method. Its shear is comparable to that in a coronary artery. The special resonance effect of the method in combination with the early phase of fibrin production is generating some kind of a physiological feed back: increasing fibrin will strengthen shear stress as long as less platelets are entangled which will reduce the elastic flexibility of fibrin web. Some kind of a “coagulation spin effect” in optimal combination of shear stress, phospholipid and factor XIII, will extremely fast originate a firm fibrin structure, a mechanism which may be of significance for a fast occlusion of arterial stenoses.