In Vivo Versus In Vitro Degradation of a 3D Printed Resorbable Device for Ligation of Vascular Tissue in Horses

• A resorbable 3D printed polydioxanone (PDO) device is manufactured to facilitate ligation of vascular tissue during surgery. The device must provide sufficient mechanical performance throughout the healing period. Therefore, degradation and mechanical performance of the device are investigated as a function of in vivo and in vitro aging. During aging the PDO device released cyclic and linear water-soluble products. In vivo aging resulted in higher relative number of linear oligomers in comparison to in vitro aging. A major loss of mechanical performance is observed after only 10 days in vivo and the Young’s modulus (E) and tensile strength at break (σb) decreased by 28% and 54%, respectively. This is in contrast to in vitro aging, where no loss of mechanical properties is observed during the same period. The in vivo aged devices exhibit clear holes in the matrices after 28 days, while apparent cracks are observed first after 140 days in vitro. These results highlight the sensitivity of the degradation process of resorbable devices with regards to the interactions of the device with the surrounding environment (tissues) and demonstrate the importance of in vivo testing as compliment to in vitro testing before clinical use of devices.

Subject headings

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Kemiteknik -- Polymerteknologi (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Chemical Engineering -- Polymer Technologies (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Medicinsk bioteknologi -- Biomaterialvetenskap (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Medical Biotechnology -- Biomaterials Science (hsv//eng)

Keyword

3D printing

biomedical materials

degradation products

polydioxanone

resorbable device

Biodegradation

Biomechanics

Tensile strength

Tissue

Clinical use

Degradation process

In-vitro testing

Linear oligomers

Mechanical performance

Surrounding environment

Vascular tissue

3D printers

meloxicam

mepivacaine

oligomer

reactive oxygen metabolite

Ringer lactate solution

aging

anatomical location

anesthetic recovery

animal experiment

Article

comparative study

controlled study

degradation

environment

field emission scanning electron microscopy

general anesthesia

glass transition temperature

horse

in vitro study

in vivo study

instrument sterilization

introspection

ligation

local anesthesia

mechanical test

mechanics

melting temperature

nonhuman

room temperature

scanning electron microscopy

skin incision

three dimensional printing

Young modulus

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)