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Updated: Aug 13, 2026
Monitoring the Wall Mechanics During Stent Deployment in a Vessel
Published on: May 8, 2012
Aging assessment by dynamic mechanical analysis of in vivo encrusted polymeric urinary stents
D E Mouzakis1, N Bouropoulos, G Bithelis
1Department of Materials Science, University of Patras, Patras, Greece.
Purpose:
To investigate the viscoelastic properties of plastic pigtail stents after removal from patients using the method of dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA).
Materials And Methods:
Dynamic mechanical analysis was performed in 12 polymeric pigtail stents left indwelling for various periods of time (0-120 days). The encrustations were characterized by infrared spectroscopy, and their morphology was observed using scanning electron microscopy.
Results:
Softening and stiffening behavior was observed. Stiffening was found specifically in the stents with heavy mineral deposits.
Conclusions:
Material degradation becomes obvious after certain periods of time. The effect of stent degradation appeared in two forms: softening of the stent polymer, possibly through interaction with urine, and stiffening of the stent secondary to the formation of various insoluble mineral deposits covered by layers of organic matrix.
