Figure 8.

A hypothetical estimate of the extent of vascular occlusion which would occur 5 mm downstream from an anchored thrombin generating catalyst (prothrombinase) in the absence of platelets. The illustration is based upon a combination of fluid mechanics analyses with empirically defined enzyme kinetics studied in a flowing system. The data suggest that in smaller vessels at high shear rates a Tf induced thrombin generation with plasma constituents alone would not lead to occlusion without another source of vascular obstruction (i.e. a platelet thrombus).