Biomechanical comparison of native and acellular human dura mater using recent 3d-printing advances in soft tissue testing

Tensile properties of native and acellular human dura mater are of increasing interest for transplant surgery. The biomechanical properties of 18 cadaver-matched pairs of acellular and native human dura mater samples were investigated here. An individually-established osmotic stress protocol and the use of customized equipment assured a high level of standardization and thus comparability of results. Collagens and proteoglycans remained intact during acellularization, whereas the proteoglycan content decreased. Additionally, an exposure of fibronectin and elastic fibres was observed following the acellularization procedure. Acellular dura insignificantly differs from native counterparts in its load deformation behaviour. Consequently, cell seeding is not required to realistically imitate the biomechanical properties of human dura mater scaffolds.