title: Comparison of tissue reactions in the tracheal mucosa surrounding a bioabsorbable and silicone airway stents.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Treatment of tracheobronchial stenosis is problematic. Conservative methods include stenting the stenotic area, but an ideal stent has not yet been developed. Bioabsorbable airway stents offer benefits; the extraction of the device is unnecessary, and the airway preserves its normal function after stent resorption. The aim of this study was to examine the suitability of self-reinforced poly-L-lactide as a material for an airway stent.
  
  
  METHODS
  A spiral airway stent made of 0.7-mm wire of self-reinforced poly-L-lactide was implanted operatively in 9 rabbits intratracheally; silicone stents served as controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Silicone stents had a tendency to become stenosed with encrustation material and to develop a hyperplastic polyp at both ends. Self-reinforced poly-L-lactide stents were well tolerated and caused no foreign body reaction, and they had a tendency to penetrate into the tracheal wall. They had disappeared at the end of the follow-up of 10 months.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This experimental study showed that bioabsorbable self-reinforced poly-L-lactide is a promising material for an airway stent for treatment of airway stenosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Finland.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Korpela
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Aarnio
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sariola
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Törmälä
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Harjula
mesh_terms: D020341:Absorbable Implants; D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D005549:Foreign-Body Reaction; D009092:Mucous Membrane / Q000473:pathology; D011091:Polyesters; D011817:Rabbits; D012828:Silicones; D015607:Stents; D014132:Trachea / Q000473:pathology*; D014135:Tracheal Stenosis / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D011091:Polyesters; D012828:Silicones; C033616:poly(lactide)