RUPTURE OF THE ARTERIAL-WALL CAUSES DEFLECTION IN PRESSURE TIME-COURSE DURING EX-VIVO BALLOON ANGIOPLASTY

A relation between restenosis and arterial lesions resulting from ball oon angioplasty has been suggested in literature. Nevertheless, it is unclear to what extent angioplasty-induced arterial wall lesions contr ibute to the occurrence of restenosis. One problem is that arterial ru ptures cannot be detected during balloon inflation. This study describ es a method to detect ruptures in the arterial wall, based on deflecti ons observable in the development of the balloonpressure. We performed ex vivo angioplasty with constant strain rate on 28 human femoral art ery segments, showing deflections in 21 cases. In 20 cases wall ruptur e was confirmed histologically. From seven cases not showing deflectio ns, four showed intact wall at microscopy. These figures result in a s electivity of the proposed method of 87 +/- 7% and a predictive value of the positive test of 95 +/- 5%. We conclude that this method can en hance detection of arterial rupture during ex vivo angioplasty and may become important clinically. (C) 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.