an expandable tissue supporting device of the present invention employs ductile hinges at selected points in the expandable device . when expansion forces are applied to the device as a whole , the ductile hinges concentrate expansion stresses and strains in small well defined areas . the expandable medical device including ductile hinges provides the advantages of low expansion force requirements , relatively thick walls which are radio - opaque , improved crimping properties , high crush strength , reduced elastic recoil after implantation , and control of strain to a desired level . the expandable tissue supporting device includes a plurality of elongated beams arranged in a cylindrical device and connected together by a plurality of ductile hinges . although many ductile hinge configurations are possible , the ductile hinges preferably have a substantially constant hinge cross sectional area which is smaller than a beam cross sectional area such that as the device is expanded from a first diameter to a second diameter , the ductile hinges experience plastic deformation while the beams are not plastically deformed .