Absorbable stents and absorbable stent coatings have been developed with
improved properties. These devices preferably comprise biocompatible
copolymers or homopolymers of 4-hydroxybutyrate, and optionally
poly-L-lactic acid and other absorbable polymers and additives.
Compositions of these materials can be used to make absorbable stents
that provide advantageous radial strengths, resistance to recoil and
creep, can be plastically expanded on a balloon catheter, and can be
deployed rapidly in vivo. Stent coatings derived from these materials
provide biocompatible, uniform coatings that are ductile, and can be
expanded without the coating cracking and/or delaminating and can be used
as a coating matrix for drug incorporation.