Development of A Multi-layered Micro-patterned Electrospun Mesh for Hernia Repair
Open Access
- Author:
- Orr, Sara A
- Area of Honors:
- Bioengineering
- Degree:
- Bachelor of Science
- Document Type:
- Thesis
- Thesis Supervisors:
- Jian Yang, Thesis Supervisor
Dr. William O Hancock, Thesis Honors Advisor
Yong Wang, Faculty Reader - Keywords:
- electrospin
electrospun
hernia
mesh - Abstract:
- Hernia repair is one of the most common surgeries in the world, with an estimated 20 million repairs performed each year1. With a lifetime risk of 27% for men and 3% for women in the United States and more than 990,000 abdominal wall hernias repaired every year, it is the second-most common surgical procedure in the country2. In this study, we developed a novel hernia mesh in aim to reduce chronic pain and recurrence. The ideal mesh requires not only a soft nature and in vivo biodegradability, but also a gradual transfer of mechanical loads upon implantation to promote healing. The first goal of this project was to fabricate a novel biodegradable electrospun mesh with an elegant structural design to meet the mechanical requirements necessary for successful hernia repair. The second goal of this project was to design the electrospun mesh to allow for faster cell infiltration and integration into the host tissue to improve the biological properties of meshes used in hernia repair. We developed a novel design for a multi-layered micro-patterned electrospun hernia mesh assembly that could also be used as a wound dressing. Biodegradable micro/nano-fibrous meshes, using polycaprolactone (PCL) as the hydrophobic layers and carboxymethyl chitosan (CMC) and polyethylene oxide (PEO) as the hydrophilic layers, were fabricated by electrospinning. PCL is biocompatible, biodegradable, hydrophobic, and has good mechanical properties,3. CMC is water-soluble and has advantageous biological properties4. Micro-holes were made in meshes to improve cell infiltration. Then, multiple meshes were stacked together to create a mesh assembly with gradually decreasing pore sizes and densities from one side to the other. The top layer (opposite side from the wound) was comprised of non-punched fibrous meshes, which form a physical barrier for tissue penetration. This innovative design enables a faster cell-infiltration into the meshes, leading to a faster integration of the meshes and healing of the wound, while also enabling a progressive mechanical take-over from the meshes to newly regenerated tissue.