Establishment of a canine model of intracranial artery stent implantation

Objective To establish a canine model ofbasilar artery (BA) stent implantation. Methods After angiography, 2.0 mmx8.0 mm metal stents were implanted in the BA of 12 dogs by passing the stents through the vertebral artery V1 segment, anterior radiculomedullary artery, anterior spinal artery S1 segment, anterior spinal artery S2 segment, and vertebral artery V5 segment till reaching the BA using catheter guidewire exchange technique. The dogs surviving the procedure were observed for 4 weeks, and a repeat angiography was performed to detect the presence of vascular stenosis. Results Eleven stents were successfully implanted in the BA of the dogs. On follow-up angiography, BA occlusion was observed in one dog, and the other 10 dogs showed no obvious vascular stenosis or neurological deficits. Conclusion We have establish a safe and efficient stent implantation technique according to the segmentation of the vertebral artery, anterior spinal artery, and BA, which provides the basis for further study of vascular response after intracranial stent implantation. Key words: Intracranial stent; Basilar artery; Angiography