Abstract
The complex deformation of a peripheral arterial stent during limb movements is the main reason for its fatigue fracture. This study aims to explore the impact of complex loads on the fatigue performance and life of lower limb arterial stents. Specifically, the finite element method was adopted to compare and analyze the fatigue performance of three stents under five superimposed loads Besides, the fatigue life and the fatigue crack propagation life of these stents was predicted. The results demonstrated that the bending load superimposed on other loads exerted a significant impact on the fatigue performance of these stents. The “spiral” structure design of the stent contributed to enhancing the fatigue durability of the stent under complex deformation. Moreover, the prediction method for fatigue crack propagation life is relatively conservative, which accounted for approximately 65% to 97% of the full life. These findings are expected to provide a theoretical foundation for the evaluation of stent fractures and offer guidance for the clinical application and selection of stents.
