Dynamic in vitro calcification of porcine aortic valves

Previous work in our laboratory has demonstrated a simple, dynamic in vitro calcification method for studying bovine pericardial heart valves. The calcification produced closely resembled that found in clinical explant valves. The current study extends this technique to the porcine aortic bioprosthesis. Five Carpentier-Edwards porcine aortic bioprostheses were calcified in vitro in a modified wear tester. All valves calcified to a similar degree as bovine pericardial valves. Calcification predominated on the ribbed tissue structures near the commissures on the outflow surfaces. The same calcification pattern was seen in clinical explant valves. A number of anti-calcification modifications of porcine aortic valves were also investigated. These had all previously inhibited calcification of bovine pericardium in a rat subdermal implant model but had failed to reduce calcification in whole pericardial valves calcified in vitro under dynamic conditions. The modified porcine valves produced similar results: no modification achieved reduction of calcification on exposure to the functional valve calcification model. The dynamic in vitro calcification test has been shown to be useful for the study of both main types of bioprostheses, bovine pericardial and porcine aortic valves, and for the assessment of alterations to these biomaterials.