Effects of chitosan coatings on polypropylene mesh for implantation in a rat abdominal wall model.

Hernia repair and pelvic floor reconstruction are usually accompanied with the implantation of a surgical mesh, which frequently results in a foreign body response with associated complications. An ideal surgical mesh that allows force generation of muscle tissues without significant granulation tissue and/or fibrosis is of significant clinical interest. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the in vitro and in vivo responses of a chitosan coating on polypropylene mesh (Ch-PPM) in comparison with commercially available meshes. We found that application of a 0.5% (w/v) Ch-PPM elicited preferential attachment of myoblasts over fibroblast attachment in vitro. Therefore, we test the hypothesis that 0.5% Ch-PPM will encourage skeletal muscle tissue ingrowth and decrease fibrosis formation in vivo. We implanted 0.5% Ch-PPM, collagen-coated polypropylene mesh (Pelvitex™; C.R. Bard), and polypropylene (Avaulta Solo®; C.R. Bard) alone using a rat abdominal defect model. Force generation capacity and i...