| Sumario: | Intimal hyperplasia development is recognized as the most important cause of vascular access failure in patients submitted renal function replacement therapy. An important factor that affects the development of intimal hyperplasia is elastic mismatch between native vessel and among vein, arteries and the synthetic graft. In this work, a biomechanical analysis of cryopreserved arteries, expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE), and fresh arteries and veins is reported. In vitro pressure (Konigsberg) and diameter (Sonomicrometry) were measured in fresh human vein and arteries and cryopreserved human defrosted arteries and ePTFE prosthesis, under isobaric and systemic pressures levels. Our results showed that ePTFE conduits have an elastic index which is significantly different from that of fresh and cryopreserved defrosted arteries and veins. These stiffness differences determine a high elastic mismatch. We conclude that this study of tubular segments to be used as vascular accesses in dialyzed patients, demonstrate significantly elastic differences that could be an important determinant of late access viability.
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