Microgrooved silicone subcutaneous implants in guinea pigs

Cell-substratum interactions are of fundamental importance for the reaction of body tissues to surgically implanted foreign materials. In our study we investigated the influence of 2 mu m wide microgrooves, with various depth s (0.5-6 mu m), on capsule formation around subcutaneous silicone implants, in an animal experiment. Silicone sheets with microtexture were glued arou nd silicone tubes. These implants were placed subcutaneously in eight guine a pigs for 10 weeks. The implanted tubes were removed including all surroun ding tissues, and processed for light microscopy and subsequent histomorpho metrical evaluation. All removed implants were surrounded by a thin fibrous capsule, and it was observed that this capsule was separated from the impl ants by a thin, single layer of mono- and multinucleated phagocytotic cells . In histomorphometry no significant differences were seen in relation to t he reaction towards the various textures. We conclude that microtextures do not have an effect on the morphological characteristics of capsule formati on around silicone implants in soft tissue. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.