The use of nylon pouches to prevent cellular attachment to implanted materials.

A nylon pouch system has been developed to permit the in vivo exposure of implantable materials to tissue fluids without complications arising from cellular attachment or from the bacterial attack. SEM observations have indicated that the pouches were effective in reducing the ingress of bacteria as well as reducing, and in some cases eliminating, cell infiltration through their mesh structure. Over a 7 d implantation period, the exterior surfaces of the nylon pouches were heavily infested with microorganisms but there was minimal growth of bacteria within the pouches. Non-infected pouches that were implanted for up to 25 wk showed heavy deposits of cellular matter on the external surfaces of the pouches and minimal deposits within the pouches.