25. Changes

Over the centuries, much scholarship on Dante’s Commedia has taken the form of the lectura Dantis, in which one digs as deeply as one can into the depths of the poem’s text. The project of Cambridge’s vertical readings, on the other hand, is reminiscent not of the deep shafts dug by miners but rather of long narrow trenches, of the sort gently excavated by archaeologists. The trenches we are digging in our enterprise follow not a physical structure but a numerical one. Someone like Dante, who..

A Polymer-Biologic Hybrid Hernia Construct: Review of Data and Early Experiences

Surgical mesh reinforcement of the human abdominal wall has been found to reduce the chance of recurrence in hernia repairs. While traditionally polymer meshes have been used in hernia repair, alternative mesh options have been engineered to prevent the inflammatory foreign body response invoked by polymers. A reinforced tissue matrix (RTM) mesh has been developed by embedding a polymer within a decellularized extracellular matrix. This combination has been attributed to the recruitment of host cells, a pro-healing response, and attenuation of the foreign body response. This has been observed to lead to the regeneration of functional tissue within the repair site that is reinforced by the polymer to offload abdominal pressures over time. This manuscript presents the review of OviTex, an RTM, in several types of hernia repair. The authors have found that the use of RTM in hernia repair is effective in preventing foreign body response, promoting wound healing, and providing reinforcement to lower the risk of hernia recurrence