The impact of material characteristics on the mechanical properties of a poly(L-lactide) coronary stent.

Biodegradable polymer stents as an alternative to metallic vascular stents have long been under discussion. However, for various reasons no such stent concept has been made available for commercial use until today. One reason may be, that still little is known about the mechanical properties of polymer stents and their dependency on the material characteristics. In this study, finite element analysis is used to investigate the mechanical properties of a balloon expandable PLLA stent under various load conditions. It is shown, how material parameters, such as elastic modulus, yield level and material hardening, influence stent recoil and collapse behavior.