BACKGROUND: Bioprosthetic
devices for treating
cardiovascular diseases and defects may provide alternatives to autologous and
homograft tissue . We evaluated the mechanical and physical conditions of a porcine pericardial
bioprosthesis treated with
Glutaraldehyde (GA),
Ethanol , or
Sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) before implantation. MATERIAL AND
METHOD: 1) Thirty square-shaped pieces of porcine
pericardium were fixed in 0.625%, 1.5% or 3% GA
solution . 2) The
tensile strength and thickness of these and other
bioprosthesis , including fresh porcine
pericardium , fresh
human pericardium , and commercially produced
heterografts , were measured. 3) The
tensile strength and thickness of the six treated groups (GA-
Ethanol ,
Ethanol -GA, SDS only, SDS-GA,
Ethanol -SDS-GA and SDS-
Ethanol -GA) were measured.
RESULT: 1) Porcine
pericardium fixed in 0.625% GA the thinnest and had the lowest
tensile strength , with thickness and
tensile strength increasing with the concentration of GA
solution . The relationship between
tensile strength and thickness of porcine
pericardium increased at thicknesses greater than 0.1 mm (correlation-coefficient 0.514, 0<0.001). 2) There were no differences in
tensile strength or thickness between commercially-produced
heterografts . 3)
Treatment of GA,
ethanol , or SDS minimally influenced thickness and
tensile strength of porcine
pericardium , except for SDS alone.
CONCLUSION: Porcine pericardial
bioprosthesis greater than 0.1 mm thick provide better handling and advantageous
tensile strength . GA fixation did not cause physical or mechanical damage during anticalcification or decellularization
treatment , but combining SDS-
ethanol pre-
treatment and GA fixation provided the best
tensile strength and thickness.