Influence of prosthetic graft fabrication on graft healing, I

Abstract

The object of this report was to analyze graft healing by comparing the content of collagen and noncollagen protein among seven commonly used prostheses: light-weight knitted dacron concentric crimp (USCI), Sauvage filimentous external velour knitted dacron with concentric crimp, random crimp, or no crimp (USCI), microvel double-velour knitted dacron concentric crimp (Meadox), PTFE Impra, and PTFE Gortex. Grafts (6 mm) were used to replace 4-cm segments of infrarenal abdominal aorta in 85 experimental dogs and five autograft aorta control animals. At 3 and 6 months postimplantation the grafts were aseptically harvested, inspected for completeness of neointimal healing and submitted for biochemical analysis. After 3 months implantation, uncrimped external velour grafts had less hydroxyproline than all dacron grafts except random crimp external velour ( P < 0.05) but not less than both PTFE grafts and most dacron and PTFE grafts were not significantly different in noncollagen protein. After 6 months implantation, all dacron grafts had more hydroxyproline than both PTFE grafts ( P < 0.03) and most dacron grafts had significantly more noncollagen protein than PTFE Impra ( P < 0.05). Of all the grafts analyzed, only uncrimped external velour knitted dacron grafts had both rapid neoendothelial healing and a significant increase in both hydroxyproline and noncollagen protein between 3 and 6 months after graft implantation ( P < 0.01). These data indicate that dacron prostheses heal in a manner different from that of PTFE grafts, that there may be differences among the various types of dacron prostheses, and that external velour uncrimped grafts would appear to have the best healing characteristics.