A comparison of polypropylene mesh and expanded polytetrafluoroethylene patch for the repair of contaminated abdominal wall defects--an experimental study.

Abdominal wall defects created in Sprague-Dawley rats were repaired with either polypropylene mesh (PPM) or expanded polytetrafluoroethylene patch (PTFE). Tensiometric studies of abdominal wall strength showed that PPM and expanded PTFE provided a strong repair in uninfected wounds. Wounds reconstructed with expanded PTFE and contaminated with Staphylococcus aureus had a weak interface between the patch and the abdominal wall fascia. The strength of the interface was inadequate because collagen ingrowth in the material was inhibited. In contrast, the wound strength of PPM was unaffected by the presence of bacterial contamination.