The use of Gore-Tex E-PTFE bonded to silicone rubber as an alloplastic implant material

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the use of an alloplastic material, Gore-Tex Soft Tissue Patch, which when bonded to silicone rubber (Silastic) may represent a more "ideal" implant material. It's use in the rabbit model is compared to Silastic alone, Supramid Mesh, and cartilage control. Grafts were harvested at 3 weeks and 3 months, and the histologic findings were reviewed. Our results demonstrate that the implant is quite inert (minimal tissue reaction), allows for tissue ingrowth with reduced capsule formation, and protects the silicone rubber infrastructure from encapsulation. These findings suggest that Gore-Tex Soft Tissue Patch bonded to silicone rubber is a superior implant material and is worthy of consideration for clinical applications.