The present experimental study investigates the mechanical behavior of intestinal anastomoses in Wistar rats. More specifically the response of the anastomoses to a properly applied uniaxial direct tensile load is studied and the respective tensile strength is determined. The surgical procedure of large bowel anastomoses is described in detail. In addition the authors provide a thorough description of the experimental apparatus, designed especially for measuring the tensile strength of the specimens under study, with special consideration in gripping of the intestine, the load application and the data acquisition and storage systems. This experimental model provides an excellent method for measuring the anastomotic strength and therefore a flexible tool for the comparative evaluation of various anastomotic techniques.
