Collagen scaffold: a treatment for simulated maternal birth injury in the rat model

OBJECTIVE: We sought to determine the impact of a collagen scaffold on the healing response after simulated birth injury in a rodent model. STUDY DESIGN: A total of 52 virgin animals were divided into the following groups: control (n = 18), injured untreated (n = 18), and injured treated with porcine small intestinal submucosa (SIS) (n = 16). Histopathology, immunofluorescence of collagens, and vaginal mechanical properties were used to assess the impact of injury and the subsequent healing response. RESULTS: Collagen I/V decreased by 44% after birth injury relative to the controls (P = .001). Birth injury resulted in inferior mechanical properties of the vagina with a decrease of 38% in the tangent modulus and 44% in the tensile strength. SIS improved the collagen I/V and I/III ratios by 28% and 46%, respectively, paralleling the trend in the mechanical properties. CONCLUSION: Simulated birth injury negatively affected vaginal biochemical and biomechanical properties long term. SIS treatment mitigated the impact of birth injury by enhancing tissue quality.