Porous polyethylene sheet implant with a barrier surface: a rabbit study

Soft tissue adhesion to the porous polyethylene sheet implant (PPSI) raises the concern of postoperative extraocular motility disturbance after orbital blowout fracture repairs using PPSI. A PPSI with a barrier surface (PPSI-B) has been developed to reduce adhesion between soft tissue and the implant. Six PPSI-B and six conventional PPSI were implanted under the scalps of three New Zealand white rabbits. The implants were harvested at 2-, 4-, and 20-week intervals. Clinical and histologic comparisons were made between PPSI-B and PPSI with regard to adhesion at the soft tissue-implant interface. Clinically, PPSI-B demonstrated less adhesion between soft tissue and implant compared with the conventional PPSI. Both types of implants demonstrated a complete fibrovascular ingrowth by 2 weeks. Because PPSI-B causes less adhesion at the soft tissue-implant interface, consideration should be given to the use of PPSI-B in repairs of orbital blowout fractures in which extraocular muscle is exposed to the implant surface.