An Experimental Study of the Reinforcing Element of a Vascular Prosthesis Fabricated Using the Internal Thoracic Artery of Large Cattle

The goal of this study was to assess the patency rate for a reinforced vascular bioprosthesis with KemAngioProsthesis xenogenic cells (JSC NeoСor, Kemerovo) during its mechanical deformation. The complex of natural and numerical methods used in the work made it possible to determine the mechanical properties of the test objects. We used a pitch of the helix of 4 mm and a thickness of the thread of 0.3–0.5 mm. It is shown that the material properties of the vascular wall are anisotropic compared to the longitudinal and transverse directions under loading. Thus, the elastic moduli were 1.37 (0.90, 1.12, 1.44, and 1.72) MPa versus 0.80 (0.97, 1.23, 1.61, and 2.15) MPa, respectively; the statistical analysis showed significant differences of these moduli among layers (p < 0.05). Using the finite element method to select parameters for the reinforcing lining it was found that the patency rate for a vascular prosthesis depends nonlinearly on the number of spirals. It has been shown that the external polymeric reinforcing lining during its mechanical deformation can offer satisfying patency rates and outcomes, which is typical of infra-inguinal reconstructions, especially when compared to the original unreinforced product. Additionally, the introduction of reinforcement increases the radial stiffness of the prosthesis, which can potentially lead to a decrease in the risk of vascular wall aneurysms in the long term.