title: Mechanical properties of collagen membranes: are they sufficient for orbital floor reconstructions?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The most common reconstruction materials for orbital floor fractures are PDS (polydioxanone) foil and titanium meshes. These materials have advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, new materials are needed to improve surgical outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three resorbable collagen membranes (Smartbrane(®), BioGide(®), Creos(®)) were tested for their mechanical properties (puncture strength) in mint and artificially aged (3, 6, 8 weeks) conditions and were compared to PDS foil, titanium meshes (0.25 mm, 0.5 mm) and human orbital floors (n = 7).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The following puncture strengths were evaluated: human orbital floor, 0.81 ± 0.49 N/mm(2); 0.25 mm titanium mesh, 5.36 ± 0.25 N/mm(2); 0.5 mm titanium mesh, 16.08 ± 5.17 N/mm(2); Smartbrane, 0.74 ± 0.31 N/mm(2); BioGide, 1.65 ± 0.45 N/mm(2); and Creos, 2.81 ± 0.27 N/mm(2). After artificial aging, the puncture strengths were significantly reduced (p ≤ 0.05) at 3, 6 and 8 weeks as follows: Smartbrane, 0.05 ± 0.03 N/mm(2), 0.03 ± 0.02 N/mm(2), and 0.01 ± 0.01 N/mm(2), respectively; BioGide, 0.42 ± 0.06 N/mm(2), 0.41 ± 0.12 N/mm(2), and 0.32 ± 0.08 N/mm(2), respectively; and Creos, 2.02 ± 0.37 N/mm(2), 1.49 ± 0.42 N/mm(2), and 1.36 ± 0.42 N/mm(2), respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The tested materials showed sufficient puncture strength for orbital floor reconstruction in mint condition. Moreover, after artificial aging, the Creos and BioGide membranes showed sufficient resistance, while Smartbrane showed equivocal data after eight weeks. Therefore, collagen membranes have adequate properties for further in vivo investigations for orbital floor reconstructions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Christian-Albrechts University at Kiel, Kiel, Germany. Electronic address: f.birkenfeld@mkg.uni-kiel.de.
authors.forename: Falk
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Birkenfeld
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Christian-Albrechts University at Kiel, Kiel, Germany.
authors.forename: Eleonore
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Behrens
authors.affiliation: Department of Prosthodontics and Dental Materials, Christian-Albrechts University at Kiel, Kiel, Germany.
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kern
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Christian-Albrechts University at Kiel, Kiel, Germany.
authors.forename: Volker
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gassling
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Christian-Albrechts University at Kiel, Kiel, Germany.
authors.forename: Jörg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wiltfang
mesh_terms: D020341:Absorbable Implants; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry; D002102:Cadaver; D003094:Collagen / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D008422:Materials Testing; D055595:Mechanical Phenomena; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D009915:Orbit / Q000502:physiology; D016687:Polydioxanone / Q000737:chemistry; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000295:instrumentation; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D013526:Surgical Mesh; D013997:Time Factors; D014025:Titanium / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: C106416:Bio-Gide; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D016687:Polydioxanone; D003094:Collagen; D014025:Titanium
keywords: Collagen membrane; Orbital floor; Orbital trauma; Titanium mesh