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The tensile properties of tension‐free vaginal tape and cadaveric fascia lata in an in vivo rat model
Author(s) -
Spiess P.E.,
Rabah D.,
Herrera C.,
Singh G.,
Moore R.,
Corcos J.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
bju international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.773
H-Index - 148
eISSN - 1464-410X
pISSN - 1464-4096
DOI - 10.1111/j.1464-410x.2004.04578.x
Subject(s) - medicine , ultimate tensile strength , cadaveric spasm , fascia lata , in vivo , urinary incontinence , surgery , composite material , materials science , microbiology and biotechnology , biology
OBJECTIVE To examine the tensile properties (break load and maximum average load), after in vivo implantation in a rat animal model, of tension‐free vaginal tape (TVT) and cadaveric fascia lata (CFL), as pubovaginal slings of these materials have become popular for treating stress urinary incontinence. MATERIALS AND METHODS Twenty Sprague‐Dawley rats (300–400 g) had 1 × 2 cm strips of commercially available TVT and CFL implanted on the right and left anterior abdominal wall, respectively. Half of the animals were then killed at 6 weeks and the remainder at 12 weeks, after which the strips of TVT and CFL were removed and their tensile properties measured using a tensiometer. The tensile strength of TVT and CFL strips maintained only in normal saline served as controls. RESULTS The TVT strips had a mean break load of 0.740 kg in the control and only 0.390 kg for CFL ( P < 0.05). At 6 weeks the TVT material had a mean ( sd ) maximum average load of 0.634 (0.096) kg and a mean break load of 0.589 (0.249) kg, whereas the respective values for the CFL were 0.323 (0.198) and 0.167 (0.063) kg ( P < 0.05). Similarly at 12 weeks, TVT had a greater mean maximum average and break load than CFL, at 0.742 (0.052) and 0.274 (0.126), and 0.737 (0.056) and 0.185 (0.128) kg, respectively. CONCLUSION This is the first study to assess the tensile properties of the currently used sling materials, TVT and CFL, in an in vivo model. TVT has a greater break load and maximum average load than CFL; the tensile strength of these materials does not decrease with time.