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Background: Animal and clinical studies have shown that bileaflet mechanical heart valve designs are plagued by thromboembolic complications, with higher rates in the mitral than in the aortic position. This study evaluated the hinge flow dynamic of the 23 mm St. Jude Medical (SJM) Regent and the 23 mm CarboMedics (CM) valves under aortic conditions and compared these results with previous findings under mitral conditions. Method: Velocity and Reynolds shear stress fields were captured using two-component laser Doppler velocimetry. Results: Under aortic conditions, both the SJM and CM hinge flow fields exhibited a strong forward flow pattern during systole (maximum velocities of 2.31 and 1.75 m/s, respectively) and two main leakage jets during diastole (maximum velocities of 3.08 and 2.27 m/s, respectively). Conclusions: Aortic and mitral flow patterns within the two hinges were similar, but with …