Short‐term evaluation of thromboresistance of a poly(ether ether ketone) (PEEK) mechanical heart valve with poly(2‐methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine) (PMPC)‐grafted surface in a porcine aortic valve replacement model

Abstract

Improved thromboresistance of mechanical valves is desired to decrease the risk of thromboembolism and thrombosis and reduce the dosage of anticoagulation with a vitamin K antagonist (e.g., warfarin). For several mechanical valves, design‐related features are responsible for their improved thromboresistance. However, it remains unclear whether material‐related features provide a practical level of thromboresistance to mechanical valves. Here, we studied the effect of a bileaflet valve made of poly(ether ether ketone) (PEEK) with a poly(2‐methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine) (PMPC)‐grafted surface (PEEK‐g‐PMPC). PMPC is a well‐known thromboresistant polymeric material. A short‐term (<26 h) porcine aortic valve replacement model using neither an anticoagulant nor an antiplatelet agent showed that the PEEK‐g‐PMPC valve opened and closed normally with an allowable transvalvular gradient. Unlike an untreated PEEK valve, no thrombus formed on the PEEK‐g‐PMPC valves on gross anatomy examination in addition to the absence of traveled thrombi in the kidney and lung tissues. Material (PEEK‐g‐PMPC)–related thromboresistance appeared to decrease the risk of thromboembolism and thrombosis for patients with mechanical valves. However, thromboresistance of the PEEK‐g‐PMPC valve requires improvement because fibrous fouling was still observed on the leaflet. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 107A: 1052–1063, 2019.

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