OPTIMIZATION AND DEGRADATION SIMULATIONS OF MAGNESIUM ALLOY STENT

Biodegradable magnesium (Mg) alloy stents (MAS) constitute a promising candidate which might present improved long-term clinical performances over commercial bare metal or drug eluting stents. MAS are expected to provide a temporary opening to a narrowed artery until it remodels and to disappear progressively. It would be particularly useful in treatment of congenital heart disease in growing babies. However, MAS were found to show limited mechanical support for diseased vessels due to fast degradation1. Moreover, magnesium has a lower strength and elongation capability with respect to stainless steel 316L (SS316L) which is the standard reference for stent applications. In this paper we propose an approach based on finite element analysis (FEA) to improve MAS properties. The numerical results are also validated by experimental tests.