Titanium fiber mesh anchorage for percutaneous devices applicable for peritoneal dialysis

In previous experiments a new type of percutaneous device for implantation in soft tissue was designed. The subcutaneous component of the new device consists of a sintered titanium fiber web. The percutaneous devices are inserted by a so-called "two-phase" surgical technique with an intervening healing period of 3 months between the insertion of the subcutaneous flange and the placement of the percutaneous part. From a clinical point of view, this time interval is too long. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate a possible reduction of the intervening healing period. The implants were inserted in the backs of 18 rabbits. In each rabbit, six implants were placed with intervals of 1 week. Consequently, at the end of the experiment, in each rabbit six implants were present with implantation periods ranging from 5-10 weeks. After 10 weeks, the animals were sacrificed and the implants with their surrounding tissues were processed histologically. Light microscopic and histomorphometric analysis demonstrated that there was no difference in tissue response between the various implantation periods. Furthermore, it was found that the fiber mesh material showed good biocompatible behavior. In conclusion, the experiment has demonstrated that for titanium mesh percutaneous devices a 5-week healing period is sufficient between the installation of the subcutaneous and percutaneous parts.