Local hemodynamics may strongly influence atherothrombosis, which can lead to acute myocardial infarction and stroke. The relationship between hemodynamics and thrombosis during platelet accumulation was studied through an in vitro flow system consisting of a stenosis. Specifically, wall shear rates (WSR) ranging from 0 to 100,000?s-1 were ascertained through computations and compared with thrombus growth rates found by image analysis for over 5,000 individual observation points per experiment. A positive correlation (P<0.0001) was found between thrombus accumulation rates and WSR up to 6,000?s-1, with a decrease in growth rates at WSR >6,000?s-1 (P?