Biocompatibility of allogenic canine fascia lata: In vitro evaluation and small case series

To evaluate the biocompatibility of canine fascia lata (FL) in vitro and after FL allograft implantation in dogs with clinical disease.

In vitro experiment and small case series.

Six dogs treated with allogenic freeze-dried FL.

Fibroblasts were cultured on disks of FL, polypropylene mesh (PM; negative control), and porcine small intestinal submucosa (SIS; positive control). Constructs were compared at 3, 7, and 14 days for water content, DNA amounts, scanning electron microscopy, and histology. Records of dogs treated with FL allografts with follow-up examination were reviewed for signalment, indication for surgery, surgical procedure, and outcomes. All owners were invited to complete a standardized questionnaire for long-term follow-up.

Water content was greater in FL and SIS than in PM (P = .03). Fascia lata constructs contained more DNA compared with PM constructs at days 7 and 14 (P < .05), whereas SIS constructs did not differ from FL or PM. Fibroblasts appeared spherical and distributed throughout FL constructs, whereas they appeared stellate and remained on the surface of SIS and PM. Fascia lata allografts were implanted in six dogs with surgical conditions. No incisional complications were noted. All dogs had good to excellent long-term outcomes, except one that experienced recurrence of a perineal hernia 2 years after repair.

In vitro, canine FL allowed attachment and proliferation of fibroblasts throughout layers of the graft. Canine allogenic FL was clinically well tolerated in this small population of dogs.

Allogenic FL is biocompatible and can be considered an alternative to SIS for soft tissue augmentation in dogs.