Efficacy and Safety of a Newly Developed Self- Expanding Open-Cell Type Nitinol Stent for Peripheral Arteries: A Preclinical Study in Minipigs

ABSTRACT

Purpose@#To evaluate the safety and efficacy of the newly designed open-cell type self-expandable nitinol stent (NiTi-stent) for peripheral arteries. @*Materials and Methods@#Twenty-eight limbs of 14 minipigs were randomly assigned to the NiTistent group or conventional nitinol stent group. Stents were symmetrically implanted into the iliac arteries of each animal using carotid artery approach and were observed for 1 month (n = 5) and 6 months (n = 9). The angiographic lumen diameter (ALD), late lumen loss, angiographic stenosis, histomorphometric lumen area, neointimal area, and area stenosis were analyzed and compared between the groups. @*Results@#Stent migration, stent fracture, or thrombus formation were not observed in either group. At the 1-month follow-up, the neointimal area (p = 0.008) and area stenosis (p = 0.016) were significantly smaller in the NiTi-stent group than in the control group. At the 6-months followup, the NiTi-stent group showed significantly larger ALD (p = 0.014), less late lumen loss (p = 0.019), less angiographic stenosis (p = 0.014), larger lumen area (p = 0.040), and smaller neointimal area and area stenosis (p = 0.004 and p= 0.014, respectively) compared with the control group. @*Conclusion@#The NiTi-stent is as safe and effective as the conventional nitinol stent and induces less neointimal hyperplasia in a minipig iliac artery model.