Knitted cardiac mesh to support left ventricular hypertrophy: an in vivo experimental study

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this work is to perform an application study on experimental animals (dogs) to investigate the efficiency of using weft knitted mesh fabric as cardiac support mesh to support left ventricular hypertrophy. Design/methodology/approach In this work, weft-knitted mesh sample “Knitted Cardiac Support Mesh” manufactured using Nylon (6, 6) yarns, with count 20 Denier and medium mesh size, was placed around the two ventricles to prevent further dilatation, support and reduce left ventricular wall stress. Findings Medical textile is a rapidly expanding field in technical textiles that are widely used in a variety of medical applications. One of these medical textile applications is “Knitted Cardiac Support Mesh”, which is used in the treatment of Dilated Cardiomyopathy. Originality/value After the implantation of the manufactured Knitted Cardiac Support Mesh around the myocardium, all dogs survived for three months before being euthanized, and some clinical examinations were performed to investigate and evaluate the sample performance. It was demonstrated from the experimental application, that the nylon mesh sample performed the best during the surgical operation due to its good ability to stretch and recover at a moderate rate, as well as the textile mesh lightweight.