Thermal Treatment Effects on a PLLA Bioresorbable Stent

Stent navigation and expansion may injure vascular endothelium, including vulnerable plaque lesions. Balloon expansion and deployment of a stent can lead to injury or the endothelial lining and stretching of the arterial wall [1]. Understanding the traction forces an expanding stent imparts on the vascular wall at the endothelial surface, the underlying plaque lesions and other tissue components during expansion is an important step in improving short term stent-wall mechanics. More importantly, the long term influence of stent-vascular wall mechanical interactions in restenosis remains unknown, and this analysis may shed light on the process.