Biology of prosthetics

Abstract

The search for a material to be used to strengthen a hernia repair was initiated in the late 1800s. Marcy experimented with a variety of animal tendons including whale, ox, and deer. In 1887, he used kangaroo tendon as suture material; however, there were problems identified with marked tissue reaction. In the early 1900s a variety of metallic materials such as silver, tantalum, and stainless steel were tried without lasting success. In 1935, with the discovery of synthetic plastics by Carothers, the foundation for the modern materials used for hernia mesh was laid.