3D printable biopolymers as pelvic floor scaffolds

Lindsay B. Chambers; Yuxiang Zhu; Churan Yu; Natalie Crutchfield; Jixin Hou; Liang Liang; Xianqiao Wang; Yang Liu; M. Taylor Sobczak; Taylor Theobald; Xiao Sun; Carly R. Stoll; Tiffany V. Pulido; Johnny Yi; Jeffrey L. Cornella; Heather McIlwee; Hitesh Handa; Elizabeth J. Brisbois; Jessica N. Lancaster; Kenan Song

doi:10.1039/D4PY01103A

3D printable biopolymers as pelvic floor scaffolds†

Lindsay B. Chambers,

‡^a Yuxiang Zhu,

‡^b Churan Yu,

^a Natalie Crutchfield,

^e Jixin Hou,^a Liang Liang,^c Xianqiao Wang,

^d Yang Liu,

^e M. Taylor Sobczak,

^a Taylor Theobald,^a Xiao Sun,^f Carly R. Stoll,^g Tiffany V. Pulido,^g Johnny Yi,^h Jeffrey L. Cornella,ⁱ Heather McIlwee,^j Hitesh Handa,

^e Elizabeth J. Brisbois,

^e Jessica N. Lancaster^g and Kenan Song

*^kl

Author affiliations

* Corresponding authors

^a Department of Mechanical Engineering, School of Environmental, Civil, Agricultural & Mechanical (ECAM), College of Engineering, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA

^b School of Manufacturing Systems and Networks, Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, Arizona State University, Mesa, AZ, USA

^c 123Techs Inc., Athens, GA, USA

^d School of Environmental, Civil, Agricultural & Mechanical (ECAM), College of Engineering, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA

^e Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Chemical, Materials, and Biomedical Engineering (CMBE), College of Engineering, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA

^f Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, College of Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA

^g Department of Immunology, Mayo Clinic Arizona, 13400 E Shea Blvd, Scottsdale, AZ, USA

^h Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Mayo Clinic Arizona, 13400 E Shea Blvd, Scottsdale, AZ, USA

ⁱ Department of Medical and Surgical Gynecology, Mayo Clinic Arizona, 5777 E Mayo Blvd, Phoenix, AZ, USA

^j University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Medical Center, Bel Air, MD, USA

^k School of Environmental, Civil, Agricultural & Mechanical (ECAM), College of Engineering, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
E-mail: kenan.song@uga.edu

^l Regenerative Bioscience Center, UGA, Athens, GA, USA

Abstract

Pelvic floor disorders (PFD) are common among women, causing dysfunction, incontinence, and discomfort. Surgeries to repair the descended tissues can result in complications due to implant material design, particularly from the hardness and mechanical mismatch to native tissue. A more flexible implant could reduce complications, such as exposure and tissue erosion. This work seeks to characterize a 3D-printed double-crosslinked hydrogel tissue scaffold consisting primarily of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). It also compares its static/dynamic/thermal/biological properties to existing commercial products used in PFD therapies, showing our pelvic mesh's biodegradability/robustness advantages over the commercial ones. Tensile tests revealed that the hydrogel scaffold was more compliant than the commercial alternatives. Dynamic mechanical testing has shown that these polymers are durable enough to support organs with specific weight above the pelvic floor. In vivo mouse studies demonstrated low inflammation and good biocompatibility over a 28-day period. The development of this scaffold offers a promising alternative for more effective, long-lasting PFD treatments with fewer post-operative complications, advancing personalized medicine.

This article is part of the themed collection: Polymer Chemistry Emerging Investigators Series

Polymer Chemistry

3D printable biopolymers as pelvic floor scaffolds†

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3D printable biopolymers as pelvic floor scaffolds

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