Fibrovascular ingrowth into hydroxyapatite and porous polyethylene orbital implants wrapped with acellular dermis.

PURPOSE

Acellular dermis is a frequently used wrapping material for hydroxyapatite (HA) and porous polyethylene (PP) orbital implants. In an animal model, we determined by histology the extent of fibrovascular ingrowth within orbital implants wrapped in acellular dermis at 6 and 12 weeks after surgery.

METHODS

Four Yucatan minipigs were used for the study. Two minipigs had HA implants and two had PP implants. Implants were harvested at 6 or 12 weeks after surgery and were examined histologically for fibrovascular ingrowth.

RESULTS

There was complete fibrovascularization of HA implants harvested at both 6 and 12 weeks after surgery. The PP implant harvested at 6 weeks had incomplete fibrovascularization, whereas the PP implant harvested at 12 weeks had complete fibrovascular ingrowth. There was no histologic evidence of inflammation seen in any of the orbital implants. On gross and histologic examination, the wraps were found to persist on the surface of all orbital implants, with little histologic evidence of inflammation localized to the acellular dermis.

CONCLUSIONS

Acellular dermis wraps support fibrovascularization of both HA and PP orbital implants. Additionally, acellular dermis does not incite significant inflammation in association with HA and PP orbital implants and can persist in situ for at least 12 weeks after surgery.