title: High structural stability of textile implants prevents pore collapse and preserves effective porosity at strain.
abstract: Reinforcement of tissues by use of textiles is encouraged by the reduced rate of recurrent tissue dehiscence but for the price of an inflammatory and fibrotic tissue reaction to the implant. The latter mainly is affected by the size of the pores, whereas only sufficiently large pores are effective in preventing a complete scar entrapment. Comparing two different sling implants (TVT and SIS), which are used for the treatment of urinary incontinence, we can demonstrate that the measurement of the effective porosity reveals considerable differences in the textile construction. Furthermore the changes of porosity after application of a tensile load can indicate a structural instability, favouring pore collapse at stress and questioning the use for purposes that are not "tension-free."
authors.affiliation: Department for General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery, the University Hospital of the RWTH Aachen, Pauwelsstraße 30, 52074 Aachen, Germany.
authors.forename: Uwe
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Klinge
authors.affiliation: Department for General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery, the University Hospital of the RWTH Aachen, Pauwelsstraße 30, 52074 Aachen, Germany.
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Otto
authors.affiliation: Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, Aachen University of Applied Sciences, Eupener Straße 70, 52066 Aachen, Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mühl
mesh_terms: D002921:Cicatrix / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016062:Porosity; D019736:Prostheses and Implants; D013784:Textiles; D014550:Urinary Incontinence, Stress / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*