Regeneración tisular de la pared abdominal después del implante de una nueva malla quirúrgica macroporosa compuesta por politetrafluoroetileno no expandido

Abstract

IntroductionPolypropylene meshes continue to be widely used for hernia repair although several competitors with the same macroporous structure yet composed of different materials have appeared on the market. This study addresses the use of one such materials, non-expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), by comparing its tissue and biomechanical behavior to that of conventional polypropylene. Materials and methodsPartial defects were created in the lateral abdominal walls of 24 New Zealand white rabbits. The defects were repaired with a heavy-weight polypropylene mesh (Surgipro®) and the new PTFE mesh (Infinit mesh®). At 90 and 180 days post-implant, retrieved meshes were assessed to determine prosthetic shrinkage, host tissue incorporation, the macrophage response (immunohistochemistry) and biomechanical strength and elasticity. ResultsThe 2 implant types showed good host tissue integration and similar shrinkage values. The PTFE meshes exhibited greater collagen type i deposition and a more intense macrophage response. Tensile strength was similar at both 90 and 180 days for the 2 meshes. However, at 90 days a significantly higher modulus of elasticity was recorded for the PTFE, although by 180 days the two implants showed similar elasticity. ConclusionsThe spatial structure of a mesh conditions the behavior of host tissue towards the mesh. In the long-term, neither the density of the material nor its chemical composition seems to influence this behavior.