Coils in a nutshell: a review of coil physical properties.

Since its inception, endovascular coil technology has grown substantially as multiple manufacturers entered the market with an ever-increasing number of new products. Practitioners are now inundated with a choice of coils that vary on the basis of factors such as size, composition, stiffness, and detachment mechanism. The seasoned interventionalist had the benefit of evolving with this technology and, therefore, is likely to understand many of the practical nuances of coil development; for more junior practitioners, who did not experience the ongoing changes in technology, this review will provide a basic framework for the fundamentals of coil design.