Dynamic hyperinflation of the lungs occurs during high-frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV) and has been attributed to asymmetry of inspiratory and expiratory impedances. To identify the nature of this asymmetry, we compared changes in lung volume (VL) observed during HFOV in ventilator-dependent patients with predictions of VL changes from electrical analogs of three potential modes of impedance asymmetry. In the patients, when a fixed oscillatory tidal volume was applied at a low mean airway opening pressure (Pao), which resulted in little increase in functional residual capacity, progressively greater dynamic hyperinflation was observed as HFOV frequency, (f) was increased. When mean Pao was raised so that resting VL increased, VL remained at this level during HFOV as f was increased until a critical f was reached; above this value, VL increased further with f in a fashion nearly parallel to that observed when low mean Pao was used. Three modes of asymmetric inspiratory and expiratory impedance were modeled as electrical circuits: 1) fixed asymmetric resistance [Rexp greater than Rinsp]; 2) variable asymmetric resistance [Rexp(VL) greater than Rinsp, with Rexp(VL) decreasing as VL increased]; and 3) equal Rinsp and Rexp, but with superimposed expiratory flow limitation, the latter simulated using a bipolar transistor as a descriptive model of this phenomenon. The fixed and the variable asymmetric resistance models displayed a progressive increase of mean VL with f at either low or high mean Pao. Only the expiratory flow limitation model displayed a dependence of dynamic hyperinflation on mean Pao and f similar to that observed in our patients. We conclude that expiratory flow limitation can account for dynamic pulmonary hyperinflation during HFOV.