Apixaban in a porcine model of mechanical valve thrombosis in pulmonary position-a pilot study.

Objectives: The newest mechanical valves have low thrombogenicity, making them candidates for anticoagulation with a direct oral anticoagulant. While these drugs hold great promise to replace warfarin, clinical trials have been disappointing so far. We aimed to evaluate apixaban in a porcine model of mechanical valve thrombosis with On-X® (CryoLife) aortic valves implanted in pulmonary position.

Chronic haemodynamic performance of a biorestorative transcatheter heart valve in an ovine model.

Background: The Xeltis biorestorative transcatheter heart valve (BTHV) leaflets are made from an electrospun bioabsorbable supramolecular polycarbonate-urethane and are mounted on a self-expanding nitinol frame. The acute haemodynamic performance of this BTHV was favourable.

Aims: We sought to demonstrate the preclinical feasibility of a novel BTHV by evaluating the haemodynamic performances of five pilot valve designs up to 12 months in a chronic ovine model.

Validation of Prosthetic Mitral Regurgitation Quantification Using Novel Angiographic Platform by Mock Circulation.

Objectives: This study aimed to validate a dedicated software for quantitative videodensitometric angiographic assessment of mitral regurgitation (QMR).

Background: Quantitative videodensitometric aortography of aortic regurgitation using the time-density principle is a well-documented technique, but the angiographic assessment of mitral regurgitation (MR) remains at best semi-quantitative and operator dependent.

Methods: Fourteen sheep underwent surgical mitral valve replacement using 2 different prostheses.

Warning About the Use of Critical-Size Defects for the Translational Study of Bone Repair: Analysis of a Sheep Tibial Model.

The repair of large long bone defects requires complex surgical procedures as the bone loss cannot simply be replaced by autologous grafts due to an insufficient bone stock of the human body. Tissue engineering strategies and the use of Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMPs) for these reconstructions remain a considerable challenge, in particular since robust outcomes in well-defined large animal models are lacking. To be suitable as a model for treatment of human sized bone defects, we developed a large animal model in both skeletally immature and mature sheep and made close observations on the spontaneous healing of defects.

Fine grained osseointegrative coating improves biocompatibility of PEEK in heterotopic sheep model.

Background And Aim: Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) materials already have been used successfully in orthopedic and especially spine surgery. PEEK is radiolucent and comparable with bone regarding elasticity. However, PEEK is inert and the adhesion of PEEK implants to bone tissue proceeds slowly because of their relatively low biocompatibility.

In Vivo Evaluation of Different Surgical Procedures for Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation.

Objective: Autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI) involves the application of a chondrocyte suspension into a membrane-sealed cartilage defect. Recently, "cell-seeded collagen matrix-supported" ACI has been developed wherein chondrocytes are seeded on a biomembrane. This study aimed at preclinically comparing 4 variant ACI techniques in a refined goat model: 2 traditional procedures, whereby the defect is sealed by a periosteal flap or collagen membrane, and 2 cell-seeding methods, with the collagen membrane either sutured or glued into the defect.