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Polycaprolactone‐based hotmelt adhesive for hernia‐mesh fixation
Author(s) -
Roisman Sabrina,
Dotan Ana L.,
Lewitus Dan Y.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
polymers for advanced technologies
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.61
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 1099-1581
pISSN - 1042-7147
DOI - 10.1002/pat.5044
Subject(s) - adhesive , polycaprolactone , materials science , cyanoacrylate , composite material , hernia repair , polyester , polymer , biomedical engineering , surgery , hernia , medicine , layer (electronics)
Mesh fixation during hernia repair surgery is an important factor contributing to post‐operative chronic pain. Nerve damage and parenchymal penetration caused by staples and tacks can be significantly reduced using tissue adhesives. However, the application of adhesives on a wet substrate is challenging because the presence of water leads to poor adhesion, and the control over mesh fixation and positioning during application is limited. Herein, a polymer‐based hotmelt adhesive was developed to allow mesh fixation via “on‐demand,” rapid, and precise application, along with adequate adhesive strength. The introduction of catechol 3,4‐dihydroxyhydrocinnamic acid into a polycaprolactone matrix (20% w/w) resulted in a significant reduction in the melting temperature of the polymer (from 57°C to 49°C), and high adhesive strength when used for attaching a commercial polyester‐based hernia‐mesh on fresh poultry tissue (7.1 ± 1.9 kPa). To further reduce the application temperature and improve the tissue wettability of the adhesive, amorphous poly(trimethylene carbonate‐co‐polycaprolactone) and low‐molecular‐weight polycaprolactone were blended with the adhesive via a three‐level full‐factorial design of experiment. The strength of the resulting adhesive with the optimal composition was comparable to that of a commercial cyanoacrylate adhesive, both in terms of lap shear and ball‐burst tests on fresh porcine tissue. The hotmelt adhesive represents a new approach toward hernia‐mesh fixation, potentially avoiding collateral tissue damage.