In vitro, in vivo and in silico modelling for optimization of soft tissue prosthetics

 Soft tissue prosthetics are used in different branches of surgery for the treatment of a variety of medical conditions such as aortic aneurysm formation, atherosclerosis, abdominal hernia and pelvic organ prolapse. These prosthetics can be categorized based on their function (support or replace), on their material (synthetic, biological or tissue engineered), or on their application (the medical condition for which it is used). The mechanical properties of these prosthetics are an essential parameter for clinical outcome. A mismatch in compliance or tensile strength can result in complications such as pain, recurrence, aneurysm formation and failure. Still, current ISO standards for these prosthetics contain no requirements regarding in vivo compliance. We hypothesize that the clinical outcome of soft tissue prosthetics can be significantly improved when their mechanical compatibility is optimized through evaluation at three levels: in vitro, in vivo and in silico. This project aims to optimize the design requirements and hence the performance of soft tissue prosthetics used in cardiovascular and abdominal surgery. Best practices for a full evaluation of a prosthesis’ performance will be formulated, including a combination of 1) standardized multiaxial mechanical testing and 2) in vivo evaluation of long term response to mechanical loading, followed by 3) finite element simulation of the acute and long term mechanical response of the prosthesis in its intended environment