Abstract
During the last decade, biodegradable metallic stents have been developed and investigated as alternatives for the currently-used permanent cardiovascular stents. Degradable metallic materials could potentially replace corrosion-resistant metals currently used for stent application as it has been shown that the role of stenting is temporary and limited to a period of 6–12 months after implantation during which arterial remodeling and healing occur. Although corrosion is generally considered as a failure in metallurgy, the corrodibility of certain metals can be an advantage for their application as degradable implants. The candidate materials for such application should have mechanical properties ideally close to those of 316L stainless steel which is the gold standard material for stent application in order to provide mechanical support to diseased arteries. Non-toxicity of the metal itself and its degradation products is another requirement as the material is absorbed by blood and cells. Based on the mentioned requirements, iron-based and magnesium-based alloys have been the investigated candidates for biodegradable stents. This article reviews the recent developments in the design and evaluation of metallic materials for biodegradable stents. It also introduces the new metallurgical processes which could be applied for the production of metallic biodegradable stents and their effect on the properties of the produced metals.
Highlights
During the last decade, biodegradable metallic stents have been developed and investigated as alternatives for the currently-used permanent cardiovascular stents
Corrosion is generally considered as a failure in metallurgy, the corrodibility of certain metals including magnesium and iron can be an advantage in their application as biodegradable implants
Stenting can considerably reduce the risk of restenosis after the angioplasty, in about 25% of stenting cases, the problem of restenosis can still remain, which is called in-stent restenosis (ISR) [7]
Summary
Metals have high impact strength, high wear resistance, high ductility and the capacity to absorb high strain energy (toughness) compared to other materials These properties make metals suitable candidates for orthopedic load-bearing application and fixation devices such as joint replacement, bone plates and screws, as well as dental implants, pacer and suture wires, and coronary stents [1,2]. Corrosion is generally considered as a failure in metallurgy, the corrodibility of certain metals including magnesium and iron can be an advantage in their application as biodegradable implants. These materials do their job while healing and new tissue forming occur and degrade thereafter. The application of biodegradable metals in temporary implantable nanomedical devices such as sensors and actuators has been recently proposed [5]
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