Effects of external crushing forces on a novel below-the-knee vascular implant.

Background: The Tack Endovascular System is a novel vascular implant designed to focally treat dissections with low radial force and minimal metal burden. As there are currently no approved below-the-knee (BTK) implants in the USA, a unique, 3-stage model was developed to characterize crush deformation and fracture potential of the Tack Endovascular System in BTK arteries.

Methods: First, 35 Tack implants were deployed bilaterally in the posterior tibial, anterior tibial, and peroneal arteries of 3 cadavers, and clinically relevant external forces were applied to simulate BTK crushing deformation including focal load, leg crossing, and leg bending.