{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,8]],"date-time":"2026-02-08T02:56:37Z","timestamp":1770519397726,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":25,"publisher":"Springer Science and Business Media LLC","issue":"6","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2020,9,25]],"date-time":"2020-09-25T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1600992000000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2020,9,25]],"date-time":"2020-09-25T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1600992000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["link.springer.com"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Hernia"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2020,12]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title><jats:sec>\n                <jats:title>Introduction<\/jats:title>\n                <jats:p>In Africa and other Low Resource Settings (LRS), the guideline-based and thus in most cases mesh-based treatment of inguinal hernias is only feasible to a very limited extent. This has led to an increased use of low cost meshes (LCMs, mostly mosquito meshes) for patients in LRS. Most of the LCMs used are made of polyethylene or polyester, which must be sterilized before use. The aim of our investigations was to determine changes in the biocompatibility of fibroblasts as well as mechanical and chemical properties of LCMs after steam sterilization.<\/jats:p>\n              <\/jats:sec><jats:sec>\n                <jats:title>Material and methods<\/jats:title>\n                <jats:p>Two large-pored LCMs made of polyester and polyethylene in a size of 11 x 6\u00a0cm were cut and steam sterilized at 100, 121 and 134\u00a0\u00b0C. These probes and non-sterile meshes were then subjected to mechanical tensile tests in vertical and horizontal tension, chemical analyses and biocompatibility tests with human fibroblasts. All meshes were examined by stereomicroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), LDH (cytotoxicity) measurement, viability testing, pH, lactate and glycolysis determination.<\/jats:p>\n              <\/jats:sec><jats:sec>\n                <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                <jats:p>Even macroscopically, polyethylene LCMs showed massive shrinkage after steam sterilization, especially at 121 and 134\u00a0\u00b0C. While polyester meshes showed no significant changes after sterilization with regard to deformation and damage as well as tensile force and stiffness, only the unsterile polyethylene mesh and the mesh sterilized at 100\u00a0\u00b0C could be tested mechanically due to the shrinkage of the other specimen. For these meshes the tensile forces were about four times higher than for polyester LCMs. Chemical analysis showed that the typical melting point of polyester LCMs was between 254 and 269\u00a0\u00b0C. Contrary to the specifications, the polyethylene LCM did not consist of low-density polyethylene, but rather high-density polyethylene and therefore had a melting point of 137\u00a0\u00b0C, so that the marked shrinkage described above occurred. Stereomicroscopy confirmed the shrinkage of polyethylene LCMs already after sterilization at 100\u00a0\u00b0C in contrast to polyester LCMs. Surprisingly, cytotoxicity (LDH measurement) was lowest for both non-sterile LCMs, while polyethylene LCMs sterilized at 100 and 121\u00a0\u00b0C in particular showed a significant increase in cytotoxicity 48 hours after incubation with fibroblasts. Glucose metabolism showed no significant changes between sterile and non-sterile polyethylene and polyester LCMs.<\/jats:p>\n              <\/jats:sec><jats:sec>\n                <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                <jats:p>The process of steam sterilization significantly alters mechanical and structural properties of synthetic hernia mesh implants. Our findings do not support a use of low-cost meshes because of their unpredictable properties after steam sterilization.<\/jats:p>\n              <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1007\/s10029-020-02272-w","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2020,9,25]],"date-time":"2020-09-25T10:03:47Z","timestamp":1601028227000},"page":"1345-1359","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/springer_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":4,"title":["Alterations in the mechanical, chemical and biocompatibility properties of low-cost polyethylene and polyester meshes after steam sterilization"],"prefix":"10.1007","volume":"24","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9364-4336","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Reiko","family":"Wiessner","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"R.","family":"Lorenz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"A.","family":"Gehring","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"T.","family":"Kleber","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"C.","family":"Benz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"M.","family":"Sander","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"D.-U.","family":"Richter","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"M.","family":"Philipp","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"297","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2020,9,25]]},"reference":[{"issue":"2","key":"2272_CR1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"153","DOI":"10.1107\/s10029-016-1566-7","volume":"21","author":"R Lorenz","year":"2017","unstructured":"Lorenz R, Stechemesser B, Reinpold W, Fortelny R, Mayer F, Schr\u00f6der W, K\u00f6ckerling F. 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RW declares conflict of interest not directly related to the submitted work. He has given two OP training courses for Company Medtronic.","order":2,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Conflict of interest"}},{"value":"All authors confirm that no experiments with humans or animals have been carried out.","order":3,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Human and animal rights"}},{"value":"For this type of stdy, formal consent is not required.","order":4,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Informed consent"}}]}}