Neural tissue compatibility of Teflon as an implant material for microvascular decompression

Teflon is utilized in neurosurgery as well as in plastic, vascular and heart surgery. Although the effect of Teflon on different types of cells and tissues has been previously studied, we are not aware of any study in which the effect of Teflon was tested on cells of the central nervous system. We have therefore examined the tissue compatibility of spongy and fibrous Teflon by directly exposing the Teflon to dissociated cerebellar cells containing both glia and neurons in tissue culture. Daily examination of the growth of the cells adjacent to Teflon fibers using an inverted phase contrast microscope revealed that Teflon has little or no effect on the growth of these cells. When the cells are fixed after 7 days in culture and stained by the Jenner-Giemsa method, adhesion of both glia and neurons to the surface of the Teflon was seen. Attachment of neural cells to the Teflon was not extensive, as was shown by indirect immunofluorescence technique in connection with double-label staining with antiGFAP as glia marker and anti-M6 as mouse neuron marker. Thus, these experiments show that Teflon is relatively inert when used as an implant in the central nervous system.