Bench-top Comparison of Physical Properties of 4 Commercially-Available Self-Expanding Intracranial Stents.
OBJECTIVE
To better understand the performance of four commercially available neurovascular stents in intracranial aneurysm embolization, the stents were compared in terms of their basic morphological and mechanical properties.


METHODS
Four different types of stents that are currently being used for cerebral aneurysm embolization were prepared (two stents per type). Two were laser-cut stents (Neuroform and Enterprise) and two were braided from a single nitinol wire (LEO and LVIS stents). All were subjected to quantitative measurements of stent size, pore density, metal coverage, the force needed to load, push, and deploy the stent, radial force on deployment, surface roughness, and corrosion resistance.


RESULTS
Compared to their nominal diameters, all stents had greater diameters after deployment. The length generally decreased after deployment. This was particularly marked in the braided stents. The braided stents also had higher pore densities than the laser-cut stents. Metal coverage was highest in the LEO stent (14%) and lowest in the Enterprise stent (5%). The LIVS stent had the highest microcatheter loading force (81.5 gf). The LEO stent had the highest passage force (55.0 gf) and deployment force (78.9 gf). The LVIS and LEO stents had the highest perpendicular (37.1 gf) and circumferential (178.4 gf) radial forces, respectively. The Enterprise stent had the roughest stent wire, followed by the LVIS, LEO, and Neuroform stents.


CONCLUSIONS
The four neurovascular stent types differed in terms of morphological and physical characteristics. An understanding of this diversity may help to decide which stent is most suitable for specific clinical situations.
Department of Radiology, Research Institute of Radiology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Su-Hee
SH
Cho
Angiovention, Ilsan, Korea.
Won-Il
WI
Jo
Department of Radiology, Research Institute of Radiology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Ye-Eun
YE
Jo
Department of Radiology, Research Institute of Radiology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Ku Hyun
KH
Yang
Department of Neurosurgery, Research Institute of Radiology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Jung Cheol
JC
Park
Department of Radiology, Research Institute of Radiology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Deok Hee
DH
Lee
Endovascular treatment; Intracranial aneurysm; Neurovascular stent; Self-expandable stents