[Polymer fibers in surgery. II].

Polyamide fibres were one of the first synthetic fibres to be widely used in surgery. They are durable, elastic, abrasion- and deformation-resistant, and withstand the biological action of chemical agents. Moreover, they have small susceptability to moisture sorption and large values of percentage elongation. In surgery polycaproamide fibres (PKA) are usually used--capron, nylon-6, perlon, stylon, sylon and others, they can be easily and reliably sterilized, do not facilitate infection spreading in the thread, and are relatively well resorbed. The fibres were used as surgical threads and nets, vascular prostheses, woven and knitted fabric in hernia treatment, diaphragm injuries, strengthening the diaphragm seam, an other reconstruction operations. In most cases the tissues adjoining the implant react moderately. It is suggested that porous materials should be used as implants, so that they overgrow with tissue, and gradually undergo biodestruction. Depending on the kind and structure of fibres, and specific tissue properties, the biodegradation period varies from 2-3 weeks to 2-3 years. According to the authors this depends on polymer breakdown by means of hydrolysis. In the paper conditions of fibre modifications are shown in order to improve their usability in therapy. Quantitative changes in biodestruction of various kinds of polycaproamide threads in the organism are described. It is stressed that polyundecanamide fibres (undecan, nylon-11) are less applicable in surgery than polyhexametyleno-2-amide ones (anid, nylon-6,6). Through of some favourable properties, polyamide fibres have a very restricted application in surgery; their surface is rough, which makes surgical binding difficult, thin threads, last shortly in tissues, lose elasticity, get brittle and fragile. The period of their biodestruction is rather short. In conclusion it is stated that polyamide fibres are not suitable for durable prostheses.