Mechanical properties of decellularized porcine esophagus: Preliminary results

Esophageal tissue engineering is a promising approach to create an esophageal substitute after surgical resection of a part of the organ. Regeneration of esophageal tissue may be achieved using some synthetic or biological scaffolds. In the present study, scaffolds are obtained through the decellularization of porcine esophagi. In view of future implantation, it is important to test the mechanical properties of the decellularized matrices and to compare them with the data obtained for native pig esophagi. Results of longitudinal and circumferential traction experiments as well as inflation and burst tests are presented. The results obtained for the compliance of porcine decellularized matrices are novel. It is concluded that the decellularized matrices are suitable for use as esophageal substitutes.