Design and Characterization of a Silk Fibroin Sutureless Dural Repair System.
Flanagan, Kelly.
2013
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Abstract: The dura
mater, a fibrous membrane surrounding the brain and spinal column, acts as the final
barrier to cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage. This membrane can be resected in
neurosurgery or damaged by trauma. With the resulting dural defects comes the need for
watertight dural closures to prevent CSF leakage and further complications. Current
dural closure techniques include suturing, ... read moretissue sealants, and dural replacement
materials. These materials, however, have numerous limitations and carry large risks of
postoperative complications to the patients. A novel silk fibroin sutureless dural
repair system was explored in this work. This system consists of a silk adhesive and a
dual layer silk composite material that has been specifically designed to both promote
dural regeneration while also functioning as an impermeable barrier to CSF leakage. A
series of experiments were performed to determine its morphology, mechanical
characteristics, biocompatibility, biodegradability, and adhesive sealing ability. The
results of experiments in this work show the potential for this system to significantly
improve on currently used dural closure
techniques.
Thesis (M.S.)--Tufts University, 2013.
Submitted to the Dept. of Biomedical Engineering.
Advisor: David Kaplan.
Committee: David Kaplan, Julian Wu, and Fiorenzo Omenetto.
Keyword: Biomedical engineering.read less - ID:
- bk128p02z
- Component ID:
- tufts:21903
- To Cite:
- TARC Citation Guide EndNote
