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Background During the percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), the strong backup support of a guiding catheters is essential in reaching a target coronary lesion successfully. Nevertheless, it is difficult to explore the mechanics of a guiding catheter by analytical and experimental methods due to its complex deformation and interactions among guiding catheter, guide wire, and artery. In this study, the finite element method was used to analyze the backup support of a guiding catheter in transfemoral intervention (TFI). Methods A finite element model was established in the light of geometric, mechanical properties of the guiding catheter and boundary con ditions. To validate the finite element model, an arterial tree model was constructed to measure the backup force of the guiding catheters in TFI. Then, the process of the guiding catheter disengaged from the ostium was analyzed. Results The influencing rules of the geometric parameters of the guiding catheter on its backup support in TFI were obtained with the help of the finite element model. The result shows that the larger the outer diameter and wall thickness, the greater the backup support, 2.0 to 2.3 mm of the outer diameter was suggested. When designing a guiding catheter, it is wise to avoid α, the angle between the line and wall of the artery, being within 60° and 75° and it is a better choice if the contact length is between 5 and 12 mm. Conclusions This study sought to investigate the influencing rules of the geometric parameters of the guiding catheter on its backup support in transfemoral intervention. A finite element model for analyzing the backup support of a guiding catheter was validated by experiments. It indicated that the finite element method can analyze the varied laws of the guiding catheter with different geometric parameters.