An endoluminal prosthesis for placement in a body lumen of a metallic
material having controlled porosity for improved ductility. The metallic
material may be formed into a stent structure or a wire or sheet, which
may then be formed into the stent structure. The porous network of the
stent includes pores that range from nanometer scale to micron scale. The
controlled porosity accommodates volume changes as well as provides a
barrier to crack propagation to allow alloy steels and amorphous metal
materials, which would otherwise be considered too brittle for the
demands of intraventional use, to be utilized in a stent.