Tissue reaction to soft-tissue anchored percutaneous implants in rabbits.

This study reports on the soft-tissue response to titanium fiber mesh percutaneous implants. The implants were inserted in the backs of 15 rabbits. The surgical procedure was performed in two steps: implantation of the subcutaneous part of the implants and, after 3 months, fixation of the percutaneous part into the subcutaneous part. Two and 6 months after insertion the animals were sacrificed and the implants, with their surrounding tissues, were processed histologically. Light microscopic analysis demonstrated that only one implant showed considerable skin retraction in the percutaneous area. Around the rest of the implants no downgrowth or only a very limited epidermal downgrowth was observed. Furthermore, the fiber mesh material showed good biocompatible behavior. These results confirm the previous finding that sintered titanium fiberweb structures are effective for the stabilization of percutaneous devices located in soft tissues and can improve their performance.