The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Vol 79, 125-137, Copyright © 1980 by The American Association for Thoracic Surgery and The Western Thoracic Surgical Association
Bovine aortic and human dura mater valves: a comparative study in artificial hearts in calves
H Harasaki, RJ Kiraly, GB Jacobs, JL Snow and Y Nose
Thirty-one glutaraldehyde-treated bovine aortic valves (BAVs) and 105
glycerol-treated human dura mater valves (HDVs) were used in 51 various
artificial hearts up to 316 days in calves. Multiple valves were implanted
in the same animal under different hemodynamic conditions. A comparative
study of these valves was performed in terms of blood compatibility and
durability with relation to the different hemodynamic environments. Both
BAVs and HDVs showed good blood compatibility. The degradation of collagen
bundles of the valves began as early as 7 days in BAVs and 13 days in HDVs,
and was seen in the hinged portions of the cusps. The fiber separation and
resultant void formation were followed with insudation of blood elements
and subsequent calcification. Calcification was dystrophic in nature and
was encountered in 70.9% of BAVs and 7.6% of HDVs. All 17 BAVs used more
than 30 days were calcified; in HDVs the earliest calcified lesion was seen
in a 78 day specimen. The pathological changes were more severe in the left
side than the right of the total artificial hearts. These results clearly
indicated that the HDV is more durable than the glutaraldehyde-treated BAV.
It was suggested that degradation of these tissue valves is greatly
affected by the degree of hemodynamic stress on the valve cusp. Although
glutaraldehyde treatment has increased the durability of tissue valves in
general, the structure of the valve tissue also plays an important role in
long-term durability.
