In Silico Evaluation of an Elastomeric Membrane for Prolapse Repairs

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Engineering
• Medical Device Design
• Computational Mechanics

Background:

• Polypropylene mesh use in pelvic organ prolapse repair is associated with pain and mesh exposure due to stiffness mismatches and mesh deformation.
• Novel elastomeric membranes (EMs) are being developed using softer materials like polycarbonate urethane to better match vaginal stiffness and reduce complications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of pore geometry (auxetic-bowtie vs. nonauxetic square/diamond) and material distribution on elastomeric membrane (EM) elongation, wrinkling, and porosity under tensile loads.
• To utilize finite element (FE) simulations to analyze these effects.

Main Methods:

• Nine elastomeric membrane (EM) models with varying strut dimensions were designed, maintaining constant volume, length, and width.
• Finite element (FE) analysis using a Neo-Hookean material model was employed to simulate 15 N uniaxial tensile loads in clamped and suture-like configurations.

Main Results:

• Diamond-pore membranes exhibited the greatest elongation and porosity loss; square-pore membranes showed the least.
• Suture-like configurations induced more pronounced wrinkling in bowtie-pore membranes near attachment points compared to square-pore membranes.
• Bowtie-pore membrane elongation was highly sensitive to material distribution, directly correlating with wrinkling.

Conclusions:

• Square pore geometry provides superior stability under uniaxial tension for EMs.
• While auxetic bowtie models offer porosity advantages, their elongation and wrinkling are influenced by material distribution.
• Optimizing EM design based on pore geometry and material distribution is crucial for minimizing pelvic organ prolapse repair complications.