Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 1, 2026
Half-segmental Diaphyseal Bone Defect Model in Rats for Evaluating Bone Substitute Performance in Load-bearing Regions
Published on: December 30, 2025
Characterisation and comparison of the host response of 6 tissue-based surgical implants in a subcutaneous in vivo
Nicholas Bryan1, Helen Ashwin, Neil J Smart
11 Clinical Engineering (UKCTE), The Institute of Ageing and Chronic Disease, University of Liverpool, Liverpool - UK.
Background:
Hernia repair often involves fascial augmentation using biologic prostheses. Small processing changes during preparation modulate host tissue response, which influence material efficacy and longevity. In this pilot study, a rat model was used to determine the specific influence of tissue origin, decellularisation treatment and 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate (HMDI) cross-linking.
Methods:
Materials (1 cm2) were implanted subcutaneously into 6-week-old Wistar rats (4 materials per animal, n=6/material per time point) for 2, 5, 7, 14 and 28 days. Histologic processing was carried out after resin infiltration, observing classical histopathology and pathologic indexing. Materials comprised 6 tissue-based grafts covering both experimental and commercial porcine decellularised dermal and small intestinal submucosal materials.
Results:
Subcutaneous delivery of biologics demonstrated material-specific inflammatory/host responses. Controlled variations of the PermacolTM manufacturing process showed sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) was the most proinflammatory decellularisation reagent, and HMDI cross-linking had no effect on host response. All materials remained recoverable after 28 days, although SurgisisTM had partially resorbed.
Conclusion:
Differences in host responses exist between biologic implants for hernia repair in this rat model. It is postulated that these modifications are induced during processing and may have an effect on the clinical outcome of hernia repair.
