[The Sparks-Mandril arterial prosthesis. An ingenious concept, a total failure. What can we learn from it?]

In spite of its ingenuity, the Sparks-mandril concept has failed to generate a satisfactory arterial substitute. Pathological analysis of prostheses retrieved from humans and explanted from dogs as part of a controlled laboratory study has demonstrated that the tissue laid down during the autogenous generation stage contains neither elastin fibers nor smooth muscle cells capable of providing the required dimensional stability of a blood vessel. The supporting polyester mesh tube has been found to stretch in vivo, resulting in dilation and lengthening of the prosthesis and the formation of aneurysm and thrombosis. It is recommended that the use of devices relying on the Sparks-mandril concept not to be reintroduced until such time as the mechanism of growth promoting factors for angiogenesis are fully understood.