title: Incidence of stent fractures and patency after femoropopliteal stenting with the nitinol self-expandable SMART stent: a single-center study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the study was to investigate long-term incidence of stent fractures and patency after femoropopliteal stenting.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty consecutive patients (mean age 70 + or - 7 years) were treated with implantation of single (31 patients) or multiple (29 patients) self-expandable nitinol SMART stents (Cordis, Miami, Florida, USA; mean stent length 108.8 + or - 73 mm) between year 2000 and 2005. At a mean follow-up of 66 + or - 20 months, 37 patients (85% men, mean age 71 + or - 7 years) were alive and underwent plain radiograph and color-coded duplex sonography. A peak systolic velocity was measured proximally, intrastent and distally.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Stent fractures were detected by radiograph in three of the 39 (7.7%) legs (mean stented segment 207 + or - 64 mm). In one case, a moderate strut fracture was associated with in-stent occlusive restenosis confirmed by angiography. Color-coded duplex sonography revealed a mean in-lesion peak systolic velocity of 73 + or - 35 cm/s, six (15%) in-stent restenoses and four (11%) total occlusions. Primary patency rate 5 years after nitinol SMART stent implantation was 74.6%. Patients symptomatic for claudication or presenting with diagnosis of in-stent restenosis underwent angiography.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Long-term femoral SMART stenting showed minimal incidence of fractures compared with previously published data with different stent types. In-stent restenosis and occlusive restenosis seem to be correlated with stented segment length.
authors.affiliation: Centro Cardiologico Monzino, IRCCS, Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy. daniela.trabattoni@ccfm.it
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Trabattoni
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Agrifoglio
authors.forename: Antioco
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cappai
authors.forename: Antonio L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Bartorelli
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000497:Alloys; D017130:Angioplasty / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation*; D001157:Arterial Occlusive Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D003251:Constriction, Pathologic; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D005260:Female; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D011150:Popliteal Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D011475:Prosthesis Failure; D011859:Radiography; D012008:Recurrence; D012039:Regional Blood Flow; D015607:Stents; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color; D014654:Vascular Patency
chemical_list: D000497:Alloys; C013616:nitinol