Abstract
Post-surgical adhesion occurs when fibrous strands of scar tissue form, leading to the abnormal joining of anatomical structures. Patients undergoing abdominal surgery are at risk of the complications associated with intraperitoneal adhesions. Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a biocompatible, biodegradable and non-toxic natural polymer, which is gaining popularity as a barrier agent for preventing post-surgical adhesions. As HA is water-soluble and rapidly degraded in vivo, chemical modification is required to produce a non-soluble sheet that might be used to prevent tissue adhesion. We developed a range of biocompatible cross-linked HA-collagen composites and then evaluated them in a rat model of post-surgical adhesion. The results showed that cross-linked HA-collagen was almost totally resistant to hyaluronidase digestion. HA-collagen membranes induced minimal tissue reactions and were bioresorbed within 14 days post-surgery. These results suggest that cross-linked HA-collagen membrane may be a valuable anti-adhesion material to prevent post-surgical intraperitoneal adhesion.