Post deployment radial force recovery of biodegradable scaffolds

A method of forming an expandable stent scaffold, comprising:

• dissolving a raw polymeric resin in a solvent to form at least a first polymeric solution, wherein the resin has a molecular weight ranging from about 259,000 g/mol to about 2,120,000 g/mol;
• forming at least a first layer of a biocompatible polymer tube having a first diameter with the first polymeric solution;
• curing the tube;
• processing the tube to form an expandable scaffold having the first diameter and an initial radial strength;
• reducing the first diameter of the expandable scaffold to a second diameter, wherein a radial strength of the expandable scaffold is reduced to a second radial strength less than the initial radial strength upon reduction from the first diameter to the second diameter;
• and
• wherein the expandable scaffold is formed such that a tensile strain at yield of the expandable scaffold is between about 3% and 4%,
• wherein the expandable scaffold regains 30% to 60% of the initial radial strength of the expandable scaffold after deployment;
• and
• wherein the expandable scaffold comprises a plurality of circumferential support elements and a plurality of coupling elements, wherein at least one of the coupling elements extends between a first trough of a first circumferential support element and a second trough of a second circumferential support element, wherein the second trough is connected to the at least one of the coupling elements and is defined by a trough undulation having a distal curved radius along a distal side of the trough undulation, wherein the distal curved radius is between 0.0001 in to 0.75 in, wherein the second trough forms a first proximal radius where the at least one of the coupling elements joins the second circumferential support element, wherein the first proximal radius is between 0.0001 in to 0.75 in, wherein the second trough forms a second proximal radius where the at least one of the coupling elements joins the second circumferential support element, wherein the second proximal radius is between 0.0001 in to 0.75 in, wherein the first proximal radius is on a first side of the second circumferential support element and the second proximal radius is on a second side of the second circumferential support element, wherein the first and second sides of the second circumferential support element are on opposite sides of the second circumferential support element, wherein a distance between the first proximal radius and the second proximal radius is between 0.0005 in to 0.75 in.