The use of surgical meshes to reinforce damaged internal soft tissues has been instrumental for successful hernia surgery; a highly prevalent condition affecting yearly more than 20 million patients worldwide....
Smart polypropylene (PP) hernia meshes were proposed
to detect
surgical infections and to regulate cell attachment-modulated properties.
For this purpose, lightweight and midweight meshes were modified by
applying a plasma treatment for subsequent grafting of a thermosensitive
hydrogel, poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm).
However, both the physical treatment with plasma and the chemical
processes required for the covalent incorporation of PNIPAAm can modify
the mechanical properties of the mesh and thus have an influence in
hernia repair procedures. In this work, the mechanical performance
of plasma-treated and hydrogel-grafted meshes preheated at 37 °C
has been compared with standard meshes using bursting and the suture
pull out tests. Furthermore, the influence of the mesh architecture,
the amount of grafted hydrogel, and the sterilization process on such
properties have been examined. Results reveal that although the plasma
treatment reduces the bursting and suture pull out forces, the thermosensitive
hydrogel improves the mechanical resistance of the meshes. Moreover,
the mechanical performance of the meshes coated with the PNIPAAm hydrogel
is not influenced by ethylene oxide gas sterilization. Micrographs
of the broken meshes evidence the role of the hydrogel as reinforcing
coating for the PP filaments. Overall, results confirm that the modification
of PP medical textiles with a biocompatible thermosensitive hydrogel
do not affect, and even improve, the mechanical requirements necessary
for the implantation of these prostheses in vivo.
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