Strengthening preclinical testing to increase safety in surgical mesh.

Inflammatory and fibrotic responses to polypropylene mesh led to the withdrawal of this practice for treatment of stress urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse in women in some countries. Improved material testing has been urged. We report poor responses of polypropylene mesh to repeated mechanical distension and macrophage interrogation. These results from preclinical in vitro testing show the potential of this approach for testing and improving materials before their introduction into the clinic.