In vitro characterisation of low-cost synthetic meshes intended for hernia repair in the UK

• Published in: Hernia : the journal of hernias and abdominal wall surgery 2022-02, Vol.26 (1), p.325-334
• Main Authors: Grillo, A., Hyder, Z., Mudera, V., Kureshi, A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abdominal Surgery; Biocompatibility; Cell viability; Cytotoxicity; Experimental hernia surgery; Hernia; Hernias; Herniorrhaphy; Humans; Materials Testing; Mechanical properties; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Original; Original Article; Scanning electron microscopy; Surgical Mesh; Tensile Strength; tissue engineering and biomaterial research in hernia repair; Ultrastructure; United Kingdom
• ISSN: 1265-4906; 1248-9204
• DOI: 10.1007/s10029-021-02401-z

Purpose Low-cost meshes (LCM) were repurposed for the repair of hernias in the developing world. In vivo studies have shown LCM to have comparable results to commercial meshes (CM) at a fraction of the cost. However, little has been done to characterise the mechanical and biocompatible properties of LCM, preventing its clinical use in the UK. The objectives of the research are to assess mechanical and ultrastructural properties of two UK-sourced low-cost meshes (LCM) and the characterisation of the LCMs in vitro biocompatibility. Methods Mechanical properties of the two LCM were measured through uniaxial tensile test and ultrastructure was evaluated with Scanning Electron Microscopy. LIVE/DEAD ® Viability/Cytotoxicity Assay kit and alamarBlue were used to assess cellular viability and proliferation, respectively. Images were acquired with a fluorescence microscope and analysed using ImageJ (NIH, USA). Results LCM1 and LCM2 were both multifilament meshes, with the first having smaller pores than the latter. LCM1 exhibited significantly higher tensile strength ( p