Fracture of self-expanding nitinol stents stressed in vitro under simulated intravascular conditions.

Objective: The use of intravascular stents in the superficial femoral artery (SFA) continues to be controversial due to the potential for compression and fracture in the tortuous physical environment of the adductor canal. The purpose of this study was to (1) characterize the types and ranges of stent distortion theoretically produced by extremity movement and (2) use these ranges as parameters for in vitro long-term fatigue testing of commercially available self-expanding nitinol stents.

Methods: Nitinol self-expanding stents were placed in the SFAs of cadavers and lateral view radiographs were obtained with the limb in various degrees of hip and knee flexion.