The mechanical performance of weft-knitted/electrospun bilayer small diameter vascular prostheses

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) accounts for a significant mortality rate worldwide. Autologous vessels, such as the saphenous vein and the internal mammary artery, are currently the gold standard materials for by-pass surgery. However, they may not always be available due to aging, previous harvesting or the pre-existing arterial disease. Synthetic commercial ePTFE and polyester (PET) are not suitable for small diameter vascular grafts (<6mm), mainly due to their poor circumferential compliance, rapid thrombus formation and low endothelialization. In order to reduce thrombogenicity and improve cell proliferation, we developed a collagen/elastin knitted/electrospun bilayer graft made of biodegradable and biocompatible poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and poly(lactide-co-caprolactone) (PLCL) polymers to mimic the multilayer structure of native arteries. We also designed the prostheses to provide some of the required mechanical properties. While the bilayer structure had excellent circumferential tensile strength, bursting strength and suture retention resistance, the radial compliance did not show any observable improvement.