Mechanical behavior of polyurethane-based small-diameter vascular grafts

F. MONTINI BALLARIN; G.A. ABRAHAM; P.C. CARACCIOLO

Advances in Polyurethane Biomaterials

Elsevier B.V.

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2016; p. 451 - 477

The production of a small diameter vascular graft with an appropriate and permanent response still presents a challenge. The development of an off-the-shelf conduit, without long in vitro culture periods, with proper biological and mechanical properties for coronary bypass surgery is the principal challenge of vascular tissue engineering current studies. Several biostable segmented polyurethanes have been processed under different techniques to obtain porous vascular grafts, presenting in many cases an acceptable biomechanical response. However, these materials biodegrade in vivo in long-term applications, leading to mechanical failure and releasing carcinogenic aromatic diamines. To asses this problem, bioresorbable polyurethanes blended with stiffer synthetic or natural polymers, incorporating therapeutic agents and presenting modified non thrombogenic surfaces, constitute the most promising aproximation for the preparation of tissue engineered vascular grafts.