Hollow implants in soft tissues allowing quantitative studies of cells and fluid at the implant interface.

In order to study the early cellular response in the fluid phase found close to implants in soft tissues, an experimental method using a hollow implant was developed. The fluid present in an interior chamber communicating with the exterior of the implant was analysed. Polymorphonuclear granulocytes (PMNGs) were predominant during the study (1-9 days). In titanium implants a slight increase in cell numbers with time was noted, whereas in polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) implants, a sharp increase in cell numbers was observed. Preliminary studies showed that sufficient amounts of fluid and cells could be retrieved for analysis of protein composition and inflammatory cell activation.