title: Effect of surface roughness on platelet adhesion under static and under flow conditions.
abstract: Normal blood clots when exposed to surfaces other than endothelial. Various unsuccessful attempts have been made to find a synthetic material that is compatible with blood. Both platelets and clotting factors are involved in thrombosis at foreign surfaces. The authors are concerned with platelet adhesion as a first step in thrombus formation. The determination of the number of platelets adhering per unit area, therefore, appears to be a useful criterion for the choice of appropriate biomaterials contacting blood. However, laboratory tests are often carried out with specially prepared, well-defined biomaterials with a smooth surface, whereas biomaterials in clinical use may have a variable degree of roughness. In this paper the authors present data on platelet adherence to a hydrophilic (glass) and to a hydrophobic (silane) material, with smooth and rough surfaces. Additional data are presented that document the extent of platelet adhesion to a wide range of smooth polymer materials having a large variation in surface hydrophobic quality. There was no difference in platelet adherence between the smooth and rough surfaces when tested under static conditions. When the surfaces were tested in a laminar flow cell, the addition of roughness caused a decrease in platelet adhesion on the hydrophilic surface and an increase in platelet adhesion on the hydrophobic surface.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D010973:Platelet Adhesiveness; D013499:Surface Properties; D013552:Swine
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials