Ryo Shimada1, Hayato Konishi1, Hideki Ozawa1, Takahiro Katsumata1, Ryou Tanaka2, Yasumoto Nakazawa3, Shintaro Nemoto4. 1. Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Osaka Medical College, 2-7 Daigaku-Machi, Takatsuki, Osaka, 569-8686, Japan. 2. Department of Surgery and Veterinary Medicine, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Koganei, Japan. 3. Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16, Naka-chou, Koganei, Tokyo, 184-8588, Japan. yasumoto@cc.tuat.ac.jp. 4. Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Osaka Medical College, 2-7 Daigaku-Machi, Takatsuki, Osaka, 569-8686, Japan. snemoto@osaka-med.ac.jp.
Abstract
PURPOSE: The surgical sheets that are currently used for congenital cardiovascular surgery have several drawbacks, including material deterioration, calcification, and pseudo-intimal proliferation resulting in hemodynamic disturbance. The aim of this study was to evaluate a newly developed sheet made from a combination of silk fibroin (SF) and a synthetic polymer, thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), for surgical use. METHODS: The hybrid SF/TPU sheet was a non-woven fabric with nanofibers that was made using the electrospinning method. The mechanical properties of the SF/TPU sheet were characterized. To determine its biocompatibility, part of the wall of the canine descending aorta was replaced with a SF/TPU sheet as a patch. The patches were removed after 3 months and a histological examination was performed. RESULTS: The flexibility, water permeability, and suture retention strength of the SF/TPU sheet were excellent and equivalent to those of existing sheets. The SF/TPU sheet had excellent handling properties and fit well into the vascular wall without needle hole bleeding. The histological examination revealed that the intimal tissue was restored well over the intraluminal surface of the explanted SF/TPU sheet, the absence of calcium deposition, and minimal inflammatory reaction, without signs of degradation. CONCLUSION: The SF/TPU sheet had excellent mechanical properties and tissue biocompatibility. These favorable features and possible biodegradability of the SF portion warrant a long-term follow-up study.
PURPOSE: The surgical sheets that are currently used for congenital cardiovascular surgery have several drawbacks, including material deterioration, calcification, and pseudo-intimal proliferation resulting in hemodynamic disturbance. The aim of this study was to evaluate a newly developed sheet made from a combination of silk fibroin (SF) and a synthetic polymer, thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), for surgical use. METHODS: The hybrid SF/TPU sheet was a non-woven fabric with nanofibers that was made using the electrospinning method. The mechanical properties of the SF/TPU sheet were characterized. To determine its biocompatibility, part of the wall of the canine descending aorta was replaced with a SF/TPU sheet as a patch. The patches were removed after 3 months and a histological examination was performed. RESULTS: The flexibility, water permeability, and suture retention strength of the SF/TPU sheet were excellent and equivalent to those of existing sheets. The SF/TPU sheet had excellent handling properties and fit well into the vascular wall without needle hole bleeding. The histological examination revealed that the intimal tissue was restored well over the intraluminal surface of the explanted SF/TPU sheet, the absence of calcium deposition, and minimal inflammatory reaction, without signs of degradation. CONCLUSION: The SF/TPU sheet had excellent mechanical properties and tissue biocompatibility. These favorable features and possible biodegradability of the SF portion warrant a long-term follow-up study.
Authors: Gregory H Altman; Frank Diaz; Caroline Jakuba; Tara Calabro; Rebecca L Horan; Jingsong Chen; Helen Lu; John Richmond; David L Kaplan Journal: Biomaterials Date: 2003-02 Impact factor: 12.479