Tc. Robey et al., Use of internal bioabsorbable PLGA "finger-type" stents in a rabbit tracheal reconstruction model, ARCH OTOLAR, 126(8), 2000, pp. 985-991
Objectives: To design and develop a biodegradable tracheal stent that can b
e used internally to stabilize and support surgically reconstructed airways
.
Design: In vitro mechanical and degradative properties of 80:20 poly(D,L-la
ctide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) "finger-like" stents were determined. The stents
were then tested in vivo in rabbits that underwent anterior patch tracheop
lasties with fascia lata grafts. Comparisons were made between a control gr
oup and an internal stent group for strider development, overall group mort
ality, reconstructed airway lumen size, and histological findings.
Subjects: Twenty-five New Zealand white rabbits.
Results: The average dry modulus for the internal stents was 6800 kPa. All
of the internal stents cracked by 4 weeks in buffer solution. Significant m
ass loss was not noted in vitro until after 5 weeks in buffer solution. By
14 weeks, the stents were nearly 100% degraded. The attrition rate for the
control group was 23% compared with 17% for the experimental group. The str
ider rate for the control group was also higher at 38% compared with 17% fo
r the stented group. The stented rabbits had a significantly smaller averag
e stenosis (23%) across the entire reconstruction site than the control gro
up (34%) (P<.05).
Conclusion: Biodegradable PLGA stents degrade in a predictable fashion-and
have a statistically significant effect in augmenting anterior patch trache
oplasties with fascia lata grafts in rabbits.