Graft Copolymerization of Methylmethacrylate onto Glutaraldehyde Crosslinked Pericardial Tissue

Calcification is the principle cause of failure of tissue derived cardiac valves replacement pre-treated with glutaraldehyde. Glutaraldehyde incorporation and crosslinks introduced upon pretreatment creates gaps or void spaces in the bioprosthetic tissue which serve as nucleation sites for calcification. Calcification can be reduced or prevented by filling these spaces with large molecules capable of acting as space fillers. In the present study efforts have been made to introduce space-fillers substantively into fiber matrix by grafting acrylic monomers, namely methylmethacrylate using ceric ammonium nitrate as the initiator system. The percent grafting, graft efficiency and total conversion for monomer to tissue weight ratio were determined. The formation of graft copolymers was confirmed by infrared spectra, determination of nitrogen, hydroxyproline and arginine contents.