Ultrastructural observations of cells at the interface of a biodegradable polymer: Polyglactin 910

Transmission electron microscopy was used to study the ultrastructure of cells at the interface with an implanted biodegradable polymer, Polyglactin 910. Various stages of implantation were observed from 1 day to 63 days, when absorption of the polymer was essentially complete. Events occurring at the interface include initial adhesion of macrophages on the implant surface; phagocytosis of wound debris; and subsequent erosion, invasion, and phagocytosis of the polymer by macrophages and giant cells. A vascular perfusion technique for fixation of the polymer sites implanted in soft tissue is also described.