ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the effect of manufacturing parameters on the stability of the polypropylene (PP) mesh. Moreover, it sheds light on significant quality control tests that need to be considered for polymeric implants. PP mesh has been widely used as a permanent implant to repair hernia and to augment the vaginal wall for patients with urination incontinence. The biocompatibility of the mesh device is determined by the microstructure of PP that induces chemical inertness at the interface with the biological system. Processing parameters such as temperature, mechanical stresses, and environmental conditions can affect the microstructure, chemical stability, and hence the biocompatibility of PP. The interrelationship among processing, structure, and properties is explained by materials-science triad. The processing condition of the polypropylene mesh resulted in the alteration of the microstructure, deterioration of the crystalline phase, and oxidative degradation of polypropylene fibers as confirmed by fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses of pristine fibers.
