In previous experiments a new type of percutaneous device for implanta
tion in soft tissue was designed. The subcutaneous component of the ne
w device consists of a sintered titanium fiber web. The percutaneous d
evices are inserted by a so-called ''two-phase'' surgical technique wi
th an intervening healing period of 3 months between the insertion of
the subcutaneous flange and the placement of the percutaneous part. Fr
om a clinical point of view, this time interval is too long. Therefore
, the aim of this study was to investigate a possible reduction of the
intervening healing period. The implants were inserted in the backs o
f 18 rabbits. In each rabbit, six implants were placed with intervals
of 1 week. Consequently, at the end of the experiment, in each rabbit
six implants were present with implantation periods ranging from 5-10
weeks. After 10 weeks, the animals were sacrificed and the implants wi
th their surrounding tissues were processed histologically. Light micr
oscopic and histomorphometric analysis demonstrated that there was no
difference in tissue response between the various implantation periods
. Furthermore, it was found that the fiber mesh material showed good b
iocompatible behavior. In conclusion, the experiment has demonstrated
that for titanium mesh percutaneous devices a 5-week healing period is
sufficient between the installation of the subcutaneous and percutane
ous parts. (C) 1994 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.