title: Full thickness abdominal wall defect in growing rats as a model for congenital diaphragmatic hernia prosthetic repair.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Large congenital diaphragmatic hernia may require prosthetic correction. Acellular collagen matrices were introduced to avoid complications owing to the use of synthetic patches. We tested 3 different ACM for reconstruction of an abdominal wall defect in an animal model that mimics the fast growth during infancy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pelvisoft® (CR Bard, Covington, GA) and 2 investigational ACM were used for primary reconstruction of a full thickness abdominal wall defect. 3months-old rats (n=26) were allowed to survive for 90days after implantation. Anatomical, tensiometric and histological analyses were performed. Based on good outcomes, we did the same with 1month-old rats (n=54). Unoperated rats were used for obtaining reference tensiometric values of selected native tissues.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Major wound complications were exclusively observed in 1month-old rats. All explants in both groups thinned significantly (p<0.03) and had an elastic modulus increasing over time, far above that from native tissues at 90days of life. Both investigational ACM induced a more vigorous foreign body reaction than Pelvisoft(®).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The shift from 3 to 1month-old rats was associated with wound complications. Pelvisoft® showed a better biocompatibility than the 2 investigational ACM. Passive biomechanical properties of all explants were still not comparable to that of native tissues.
authors.affiliation: Department of Development and Regeneration, Faculty of Medicine, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Engineering Research Center, University Hospital Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. Electronic address: leonardo.guccciardo@chu-brugmann.be.
authors.forename: Léonardo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gucciardo
authors.affiliation: Department of Development and Regeneration, Faculty of Medicine, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Yves
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ozog
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Engineering Research Center, University Hospital Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rusconi
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, University Hospital Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Skeletal Biology and Engineering Research Center, University Hospital Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Rik
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lories
authors.affiliation: Matricel GmbH, Herzogenrath, Germany.
authors.forename: Leon O
authors.initials: LO
authors.lastname: Damink
authors.affiliation: Department of Development and Regeneration, Faculty of Medicine, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Engineering Research Center, University Hospital Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. Electronic address: jan.deprest@uz.kuleuven.be.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Deprest
mesh_terms: D034861:Abdominal Wall / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000601:surgery; D062088:Acellular Dermis; D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D065630:Hernias, Diaphragmatic, Congenital / Q000601:surgery*; D059685:Herniorrhaphy; D008297:Male; D019736:Prostheses and Implants; D019919:Prosthesis Implantation; D051381:Rats / Q000254:growth & development
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials
keywords: Acellular collagen matrix; Biocompatibility; Muscular defect; Native tissue; Tensiometry