Biological properties of vascular substitutes based on an original collagenic coating

To enlarge the field of application for polyester vascular prostheses in order to restore small-diameter vessels, original collagenic-based composites have been developed in our laboratory. The polyester knit of standard prostheses has been modified by radiochemical grafting of the Type I collagen-based matrix. In order to check the properties of this new coating, biological tests have been carried out. We noticed that on modified surfaces: fibrinogen adsorption is less important than albumin adsorption; only 50% platelets interact actively with the modified material in comparison with the other materials; the coating is more resistant to enzymatic degradation; and there is partial denaturation of the collagen but this collagen is still specifically recognized by Type I collagen antibody.