Abdominal wall prostheses. Biomechanic and histological study

The best prosthetic material is one which provides the best mechanical resistance with the best biological tolerance. In order to assess the mechanical and histological properties of abdominal wall prostheses, we performed experimental tests in animal models comparing four materials: polypropylene, dacron, polyglactine 910 and a dacron-polyglactine 910 composite. One hundred thirty rabbits were used including 10 controls and 120 test animals. A medial laparotomy was closed with an antemuscular aponevrotic prosthesis in the test animals. Animals were sacrificed at one, two and three months after the operation. Abdominal wall and prosthesis samples were tested to determine resistance to pressure and extension, deformability and elasticity. Histology tests were also done to determine resistance quality and biological tolerance. Dacron was tolerated best and was less resistant than polypropylene, though resistance was satisfactory. There was no advantage with polyglactine compared with non-resorbable prostheses; its only indication would be a septic site. The composite material tested had a resistance comparable with that of dacron but was less well tolerated.