e-PTFE ventricular shunt catheters.
The perfect polymer surface for implantation should resist the adhesion of bacteria while producing no reaction in surrounding tissues. Silicone elastomer is a common material used for medical implantation devices. This material is superior to most available for implantation because of its flexibility and low, but detectable, tissue reaction. We have evaluated a flexible, expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (e-PTFE) ventricular catheter for cerebrospinal fluid shunting and have found that although e-PTFE is safe for cerebral implantation, the porosity of the material allows tissue ingrowth that obstructs the lumen. Our limited clinical evaluation of 5-microns internodal distance e-PTFE revealed that this open-cell structure, allowing tissue ingrowth, apparently is a poor candidate to replace silicone elastomer in cerebrospinal fluid shunting devices. However, further investigation may provide a polymer superior to silicone elastomer to create a cerebrospinal fluid shunt.
Gower
D J
DJ
University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Section on Neurosurgery, Oklahoma City.
Watson
D
D
Harper
D
D
D000818:Animals; D004867:Equipment Design; D006801:Humans; D006849:Hydrocephalus / Q000601:surgery; D007427:Intracranial Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D011138:Polytetrafluoroethylene; D051381:Rats; D012826:Silicone Elastomers; D013345:Subarachnoid Hemorrhage / Q000601:surgery; D013499:Surface Properties; D017287:Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt / Q000295:instrumentation*
D012826:Silicone Elastomers; D011138:Polytetrafluoroethylene