Abstract
PET Vascular prostheses are susceptible to physical modification and chemical degradation leading sometimes to global deterioration and rupture of the product. To understand the mechanisms of degradation, we studied 6 vascular prostheses that were explanted due to medical complications. We characterized their level of degradation by comparing them with a virgin prosthesis and carried out physicochemical and mechanical analyses. Results showed an important reduction of the fabric’s mechanical properties in specific areas. Moreover, PET taken from these areas exhibited structural anomalies and was highly degraded even in virgin prostheses. These results suggest that vascular prostheses have weak areas prior to implantation and that these areas are much more prone to in vivo degradation by human metabolism. Manufacturing process could be responsible for these weaknesses as well as designing of the compound. Therefore, we suggest that a more controlled manufacturing process could lead to a vascular prosthesis with enhanced lifespan.
Highlights
Arteries are blood vessels that carry oxygen and nutrients from the heart to the rest of the body
SEM micrographs of the virgin prosthesis showed that the remeshing line appeared as two columns of stitches that were very close (Figure 2(c))
The ruptures occurred in all samples on the flat filaments of the yarns between the two columns of the remeshing line and the first column of the standard knit
Summary
Arteries are blood vessels that carry oxygen and nutrients from the heart to the rest of the body. Vascular diseases can occur leading to a lumen with restricted section or to a loss of elastic properties of arteries (Figures 1(a) and 1(b)). The prostheses should have the same properties as the healthy arteries to avoid weakening of the heart. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) remains a primary choice for vascular prostheses because of its biostability and biocompatibility. In spite of this success, the lifespan of PET vascular prostheses is limited and many complications can occur following a relatively long in vivo stay (Figures 1(c)– 1(e)). Failures may be related to the deteriorations that occur during manufacturing steps, implanting steps, and the time of stay in the body [2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10]
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