Biomechanical properties of derma materials for hernioplasty

The most common problem of tension hernioplasty is a strong tension in the suture area, which can lead to wound dehiscence, hernia area deformation, fistulas and recurrence. Accordingly, the tension-free hernioplasty technique with both synthetic and natural materials often uses Natural materials are more preferable due to biocompatibility, non-cytotoxicity and optimal biodegradation. However, not all biomaterials have the necessary mechanical characteristics, such as elasticity and strength. Therefore, the main goal of this study was a comparative assessment of the biomechanical properties of the developed acellular dermal matrix (ADM) and bioplastic material (BPM), obtained by the methods of detergent-enzymatic and chemical decellularization, respectively, and the commercial matrix Permacol™. We performed histological analysis and quantitative DNA analysis for the materials. Strength studies (strength, strain at break and initial modulus of elasticity) tested with a universal tensile testing machine “Instron 1122”. BPM showed significantly low deformation-strength properties and modulus of elasticity. According to the results, ADM and Permacol™ have the closest to the native dermis strength characteristics, however, the ADM structural organization maximally repeats the dermis organization, which makes this material the most promising for further research.