The present study was undertaken to validate the benefits of a
fluoropolymer treatment on the biostability, inflammatory response, and healing characteristics of a
polyester mesh used for
hernia repair, the Fluoromesh, as compared to a commercial monofilament-knit
polypropylene mesh,
Marlex, used as the control. Both were implanted for the repair of surgically induced
abdominal hernias in piglets for prescheduled durations of implantation of 4, 15, and 60 days. The mesh and surrounding tissue were harvested at the sacrifice for the bursting strength and inflammatory response measurements in terms of alkaline and
acid phosphatase secretion in the tissue, and for histological observations of the healing sequence and tissue thickness measurements by histomorphometric techniques. After cleaning to remove adherent tissue, the presence of the
fluoropolymer at the surface of the mesh was detected using SEM and ESCA. The results demonstrated greater mechanical reinforcement and tissue development for the Fluoromesh than for the
polypropylene mesh. The healing performance of the Fluoromesh was attributed to a more intense chronic inflammatory reaction early after implantation that stimulated significantly greater tissue ingrowth and integration. The concentration of
fluoropolymer at the surface of the mesh was masked as a result of
biological species adsorption. Textile analysis revealed that the Fluoromesh was dimensionally more stable in vivo than the
polypropylene control mesh, which demonstrated stretching in the weft direction and shrinking in the warp direction during implantation.