gms | German Medical Science

102. Jahrestagung der DOG

Deutsche Ophthalmologische Gesellschaft e. V.

23. bis 26.09.2004, Berlin

Vitreous substitute: what do we expect?

Meeting Abstract

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Evidenzbasierte Medizin - Anspruch und Wirklichkeit. 102. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Ophthalmologischen Gesellschaft. Berlin, 23.-26.09.2004. Düsseldorf, Köln: German Medical Science; 2004. Doc04dogSO.01.03

Die elektronische Version dieses Artikels ist vollständig und ist verfügbar unter: http://www.egms.de/de/meetings/dog2004/04dog405.shtml

Veröffentlicht: 22. September 2004

© 2004 Szurman.
Dieser Artikel ist ein Open Access-Artikel und steht unter den Creative Commons Lizenzbedingungen (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/deed.de). Er darf vervielfältigt, verbreitet und öffentlich zugänglich gemacht werden, vorausgesetzt dass Autor und Quelle genannt werden.


Gliederung

Text

The natural vitreous is a high-moisture, fiber-reinforced hydrogel compound material with unique biophysical properties. For the last century there has been a prolonged search for an adequate substitute, but all efforts failed to yield in an ideal and commercially available artificial vitreous. Main requirements comprise a good tamponade effect with high surface tension, sufficient buoyancy and advantageous rheological properties regarding viscosity and pseudoplasticity and cohesive attributes. The material should be inert, slowly biodegradable and transparent, should maintain a stable refractive index and shock absorbing properties. Compartmentalization of the vitreous cavity must be attained without compromising sufficient metabolic circulation. The vitreous substitute must avoid serving as a scaffold for cellular proliferation and might further inhibit proliferative activity by acting as a slow-release-system for antiproliferative drugs. Research in vitreoretinal surgery has produced numerous methodical strategies by testing a wide variety of biomaterials: Vitreous transplantation, injection of collagen or hyaluronic acid, the advent of air, gas or silicone oil instillation, the use of high-sophisticated perfluorcarbons or semifluorinated n-alcanes, and experimental approaches by using hydrogel polymers. Those tamponade materials exhibit various beneficial attributes, but they meet only some of the criteria. Therefore, the right choice of the tamponade material used is highly dependent on individual demands. A fundamental understanding of the interaction at the delicate tissue-biomaterial interface will help for future development of polymer vitreous substitutes.