title: In vivo biomechanical properties of heavy versus light weight monofilament polypropylene meshes. Does the knitting pattern matter?
abstract: This work evaluated the post-implant biomechanical properties of light-weight (LW) and heavy-weight (HW) monofilament polypropylene (PP) meshes with different knitting patterns in an animal model in vivo.
  
  
  
  Forty-five adult female Wistar rats were divided into three groups and randomly implanted with 32 × 32 mm HW-PP (62 gm-2) orLW-PP (16 gm-2) in the lower abdomen. LW-PPwas tested orthogonally (called LWL and LWT) to reproduce the longitudinal and transverse planes of the vaginal wall, respectively. Abdominal walls were removed at 7, 30, and 60 days, and then tested for tensile load (maximum load until avulsion from the tissue), deflection, and stiffness to maximum load. Explants were compared over time and between groups.
  
  
  
  LW-PP meshes implanted in the LWT fashion (vaginal transverse plane) showed comparable maximum load and stiffness to HW-PP meshes, and LW-PP meshes implanted in the LWL fashion (vaginal longitudinal plane) presented lower maximum load and stiffness than the HW-PP meshes. There were no significant differences in the values of deflection at maximum load between the studied meshes as a function of time.
  
  
  
  The final mechanical behavior of PP mesh can be changed by its weight and knitting pattern. These properties may be useful in making more biocompatible prostheses for pelvic organ prolapse (POP) with less foreign material to maintain longitudinal vaginal elasticity and minimize sexual symptoms while maintaining transverse resistance (i.e., between vaginal fornixes) to prevent POP recurrence. Neurourol. Urodynam. 36:73-79, 2017. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
authors.affiliation: Buenos Aires University, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Miguel Angel
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Bigozzi
authors.affiliation: Buenos Aires University, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Provenzano
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Sao Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Maeda
authors.affiliation: Division of Female Urology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Sao Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Paulo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Palma
authors.affiliation: Division of Female Urology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Sao Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Cassio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Riccetto
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016880:Anisotropy; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D004548:Elasticity; D005260:Female; D011126:Polypropylenes; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013526:Surgical Mesh; D013718:Tensile Strength; D014621:Vagina / Q000601:surgery
chemical_list: D011126:Polypropylenes
keywords: anisotropy; biomaterials; polypropylene; surgical mesh; vaginal prolapse