title: Peritoneal adhesions to prosthetic materials: an experimental comparative study of treated and untreated polypropylene meshes placed in the abdominal cavity.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Frequently, hernia repair requires polypropylene (PP) meshes, which carry a well-known adhesiogenic risk when placed in contact to the intestine. The aim of this experimental study in a rat model was to assess the role of some materials, when combined with PP, in preventing the adhesions' formation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty male Sprague-Dawley rats were assigned to five groups for intraperitoneal mesh placement: untreated PP, PP+polyurethane (PP+PU), PP+Surgisis (PP+SIS), PP+expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (PP+ePTFE), and a control group without mesh. Twenty-one days and 3 and 6 months after the operation, an assessment of adhesion formation was performed, scoring adhesions in terms of extent and type and the adhesion index (AI; product of adhesions' extent and type).
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant difference was seen between PP+SIS, PP+PU, and control groups in adhesions extent/quality and in AI. The PP+SIS group had significantly lower adhesions' quality value and AI than PP+ePTFE. PP+PU had significantly lower adhesions' extent/quality value and AI than PP+ePTFE. The control group had adhesions with significantly lower extent/quality and AI than PP+ePTFE. The PP group had significantly more and denser adhesions, compared to PP+ePTFE, as well as a significantly higher AI.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Adhesions' incidence is reduced by using treated PP meshes. PP+PU and PP+SIS were superior to PP+ePTFE in adhesion prevention.
authors.affiliation: Unit of General, Emergency, and Transplant Surgery, St. Orsola-Malpighi University Hospital, Bologna, Italy. luca.ansaloni@aosp.bo.it
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ansaloni
authors.forename: Fausto
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Catena
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Coccolini
authors.forename: Milena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fini
authors.forename: Filippo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gazzotti
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Giardino
authors.forename: Antonio Daniele
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Pinna
mesh_terms: D000005:Abdomen; D000818:Animals; D046449:Hernia, Abdominal / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008422:Materials Testing; D011126:Polypropylenes; D011138:Polytetrafluoroethylene; D011140:Polyurethanes; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013526:Surgical Mesh / Q000009:adverse effects; D000267:Tissue Adhesions / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D011126:Polypropylenes; D011140:Polyurethanes; D011138:Polytetrafluoroethylene