Experimental study of physical properties of artificial materials for the development of the tissue-engineered valvular heart apparatus in comparison with biological analogs

摘要

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide. Valvular heart disease often requires valve repair or replacement. Today, surgery uses xenograft--porcine or bovine pericardium. However, bioprosthetic valves do not ensure sufficient durability. We investigated 0.6% glutaraldehyde-treated porcine pericardium to define its properties. Using a tensile test stand, we studied characteristics of the polymeric material--expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE)--and compared it to xenopericardium. The artificial material provides a better durability; it has higher elastic modulus and ultimate tensile strength. However, ePTFE samples demonstrated direction anisotropy due to extrusion features. It requires the enhancement of quality of the ePTFE sheet or investigation of other polymeric materials to find the adequate replacement for bioprosthetic heart valves.