A METHOD TO EVALUATE THE ELASTIC BEHAVIOR OF VASCULAR STENTS

PURPOSE: To develop a simple method for determining the elastic behavi or of vascular stents. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An experimental apparatu s was constructed to determine the elastic behavior of four different vascular stents. Each stent was expanded within an artificial complian t vessel and was subjected to an increasing external pressure. The cro ss-sectional area of each stent was recorded at incremental changes in pressure. Compliance was estimated from the slope of a linear regress ion analysis fit to the pressure-area data in the elastic range of def ormation. RESULTS: The self-expandable stents were the most compliant, and balloon-expandable stents exhibited the least compliance. The bal loon-expandable stents initially deformed in an elastic manner and the n yielded irrecoverably at higher pressures. CONCLUSION: A simple meth od has been devised that allows the elastic behavior of stents to be a ssessed, Quantification of stent compliance with this method is import ant as a predictor of stent resistance to compression in vivo.