Post-angioplastic contact mechanics with different levels of artherosclerotic plaque

The main goal of balloon angioplasty is to extend the active cross-section of a partly blocked artery. In the last stage of the medical operation, a metallic frame (stent) is introduced in the open space of the artery (lumen) and expanded to the desired diameter. It is generally accepted that some of the main causes of post-angioplasty restenosis are the global stresses induced in the artery by the expanding stent and the local interaction between the stent and the arterial wall. In a blocked artery a thick layer of hard plaque deposition usually covers a significant section of the wall. Therefore, to choose an appropriate stent and improve upon the angioplasty success rate, a fundamental understanding of the local interaction between the stent and the plaque, as well as between the stent and the healthy wall is vital. The goal of the present study is to find a correlation between the local thickness of the plaque layer, contact geometry and the stent/artery radial mismatch.