Biocompatibility of modified ePTFE for an artificial dura mater

A dural defect surgically created in a rabbit skull was patched with ion-beam irradiated ePTFE. CSF leakage was observed in the case with non-irradiated ePTFE and 50 keV with 1 × 1014 and 5 × 1014 ions/cm2 irradiated ePTFE, but CSF leakage did not occur in cases with other ion-beam irradiated ePTFE. A histological study indicated that fibroblast-like cells invaded and anchored into the gaps of the ePTFE surface created by ion-beam irradiation.