Vascularization around poly(tetrafluoroethylene) mesh with coating of gelatin hydrogel incorporating basic fibroblast growth factor.

For successful mesh hernia treatment with medical meshes, it is important to induce angiogenesis and fibroplasia around the site of the mesh implanted. The objective of this study is to combine a mesh with a gelatin hydrogel for basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) release and evaluate the angiogenic activity in vivo. The MotifMesh (MM) of poly(tetrafluoroethylene) was treated with corona discharge to make the surface hydrophilic. This corona discharge treatment increased the bonding strength between the gelatin hydrogel coated and the mesh surface. When implanted into the back subcutis of mice, the MM coated with the gelatin hydrogel incorporating bFGF showed significant angiogenesis around the implanted site, in contrast to the MM alone and that without gelatin hydrogel or bFGF incorporation. It is concluded that the coating of hydrogel incorporating bFGF is a promising technology to give the mesh angiogenic properties.