Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
5020370 | Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials | 2018 | 8 Pages |
â¢This study characterises porcine and bovine pericardia decellularised by scCO2.â¢UTS of scCO2 treated pericardium was not different from native pericardium.â¢UTS of glutaraldehyde treated pericardium was higher than untreated pericardium.â¢Rehydration of scCO2 treated pericardium reached an equilibrium after 2 min.â¢Long-term in vivo durability of scCO2 treated pericardium remain uncertain.
IntroductionMany biomaterials are used in cardio-thoracic surgery with good short-term results. However, calcification, dehiscence, and formation of scar tissue are reported. The aim of this research is to characterise decellularised pericardium after supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) processing as an alternative biological material for uses in cardio-thoracic surgery.MethodsPorcine and bovine pericardium were decellularised using scCO2. Mechanical properties such as tensile strength, elastic modulus, fracture toughness and suture retention strength were determined. Ultrastructure was visualised using Scanning Electron Microscopy. Water uptake and swelling was experimentally determined. Commercially available glutaraldehyde treated bovine pericardium was used as gold standard for comparison.ResultsscCO2 decellularised porcine (and bovine pericardium) maintained their tensile strength compared to untreated native pericardium (13.3 ± 2.4 MPa vs 14.0 ± 4.1 MPa, p = 0.73). Tensile strength of glutaraldehyde treated pericardium was significantly higher compared to untreated pericardium (19.4 ± 7.3 MPa vs 10.2 ± 2.2 MPa, p = 0.02). Suture retention strength of scCO2 treated pericardium was significantly higher than glutaraldehyde treated pericardium (p = 0.01). We found no anisotropy of scCO2 or glutaraldehyde treated pericardium based on a trouser tear test. Ultrastructure was uncompromised in scCO2 treated pericardium, while glutaraldehyde treated pericardium showed deterioration of extracellular matrix.ConclusionscCO2 processing preserves initial mechanical and structural properties of porcine and bovine pericardium, while glutaraldehyde processing damages the extracellular matrix of bovine pericardium. Decellularisation of tissue using scCO2 might give long-term solutions for cardio-thoracic surgery without compromising initial good mechanical properties.