BIOMECHANICAL EVALUATION OF AN ARTIFICIAL ANAL-SPHINCTER PROSTHESIS

An artificial anal sphincter was designed to reproduce the normal phys iology of the ano-rectum by flattening and angulating the bowel withou t causing crenation. It was shown in the laboratory that by eliminatin g crenation, occlusion pressure was evenly distributed without localiz ed high pressure points under the device. Further, the design facilita tes the creation of angulation of the bowel in a relatively large area of distribution of the occlusion pressure, allowing the device to be set at lower operating occlusion pressures than that required for circ ular designs yet still achieve continence. Each of the components of t he device was studied separately and the whole system was assessed in an acute and survival animal model.