#Amniotic fluid test strips chemical Patch#
#Amniotic fluid test strips chemical trial#

Open spina bifida or myelomeningocele (MMC) is a devastating neurologic congenital defect characterized by primary failure of primitive neural tube closure of the spinal column during the embryologic period 1, 2, 3.

#Amniotic fluid test strips chemical Patch#

Mechanical testing results establish that patch integrity is not compromised up to 16 weeks of exposure either to body fluids analog (PBS) or to amniotic fluid. Crystallinity studies indicate the progress of hydrolytic degradation of the patch in both media, with a preference to bulk erosion in phosphate buffered saline and surface erosion in amniotic fluid. An additional set of designed patches was exposed to phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), as a time-paired control.

The 16-week degradation study in amniotic fluid was focused on tracking changes in crystallinity and mechanical properties. This novel patch was fabricated by blending poly( l-lactic acid) and poly(ε-caprolactone). Our present study is aimed towards in-vitro degradation studies of a newly designed patch, which potentially can serve as a superior alternative to existing patches for MMC repair. Specifically, the inert patches do not degrade after implantation, causing the need for a post-natal removal surgery associated with trauma for the newborn. Currently, the use of inert or collagen-based patches are associated with high costs and inadequate structural properties.

#Amniotic fluid test strips chemical trial#

A randomized trial demonstrated that prenatal repair by fetal surgery, sometimes using patches, to cover the exposed spinal cord with a watertight barrier is effective in reducing the postnatal neurologic morbidity as evidenced by decreased incidence and severity of postnatal hydrocephalus and the reduced need for ventricular-peritoneal shunting. The exposure of extruded spinal cord to amniotic fluid also poses a significant risk for inducing partial or complete paralysis of the body parts beneath the spinal aperture by progressive spinal cord damage in-utero.

Cerebrospinal fluid leak caused by the MMC spinal defect in the developing fetus can result in a constellation of encephalic anomalies that include hindbrain herniation and hydrocephalus. Open spina bifida or myelomeningocele (MMC) is a devastating neurologic congenital defect characterized by primary failure of neural tube closure of the spinal column during the embryologic period.