Rapid Endothelialization of Off-the-Shelf Small Diameter Silk Vascular Grafts

Electrospinning of silk to create nanofibers, which deposit onto a rotating collector. This results in the formation of a pure silk conduit of 1.5 mm internal diameter. These conduits are then implanted into the descending abdominal aorta of Sprague Dawley Rats with end-to-end suturing, and left for 3, 6, 12, and 24 weeks. Endpoint histologic analysis of the explanted grafts demonstrate hyperplasia stabilization, complete endothelialization and excellent blood compatibility.