Microstructural changes within similar coronary stents produced from two different austenitic steels.
Coronary heart disease has become the most common source for death in western industrial countries. Since 1986, a metal vessel scaffold (stent) is inserted to prevent the vessel wall from collapsing [Puel, J., Joffre, F., Rousseau, H., Guermonprez, B., Lancelin, B., Valeix, B., Imbert, G., Bounhoure, J.P, 1987. Endo-prothéses coronariennes autoexpansives dans la Préevention des resténoses apés angioplastie transluminale. Archives des Maladies du Coeur et des Vaisseaux, 1311--1312]. Most of these coronary stents are made from CrNiMo-steel (AISI 316L). Due to its austenitic structure, the material shows strength and ductility combined with corrosion resistance and a satisfactory biocompatibility. However, recent studies indicate that Nickel is under discussion as to its allergenic potential. Other typically used materials like Co-Base L605 or Tantalum alloys are relatively expensive and are not used so often. Newly developed austenitic high-nitrogen CrMnMoN-steels (AHNS) may offer an alternative. Traditional material tests revealed that strength and ductility, as well as corrosion resistance and biocompatibility, are as good as or even better than those of 316L [Vogt, J.B., Degallaix, S., Foct J., 1984. Low cycle fatigue life enhancement of 316L stainless steel by nitrogen alloying. International Journal of Fatigue 6 (4), 211-215, Menzel, J., Stein, G., 1996. High nitrogen containing Ni-free austenitic steels for medical applications. ISIJ Intern 36 (7), 893-900, Gavriljuk, V.G., Berns, H., 1999. High nitrogen steels, Springer Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg]. However, because of a strut diameter of about 100 microm, the cross section consists of about five to ten crystal grains (oligo-crystalline). Thus very few, or even just one, grain can be responsible for the success or failure of the whole stent. During implantation, the structure of coronary artery stents is subjected to distinct inhomogeneous plastic deformation due to crimping and dilation.
Weiss
Sabine
S
University Duisburg-Essen, Materials Science and Engineering, Germany. sabine.weiss@uni-due.de
Meissner
Andreas
A
Fischer
Alfons
A
D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D003331:Coronary Vessels; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000737:chemistry; D013193:Stainless Steel / Q000737:chemistry; D015607:Stents
C426023:austenitic steel; D013193:Stainless Steel; D009584:Nitrogen