Bovine tail artery as an alternative vascular graft: experimental study in dogsTwenty segments of bovine tail artery treated with glutaraldehyde were interposed into 10 dog's femoral arteries. The post-operative period varied from 183 to 297 days. Motor function, pulses, systolic, diastolic and median blood pressure and blood flow throught the graft, as well as consistence, dilatation and color in the follow-up period were analysed. There were no deaths, motorfunction or inflammatory changes. There were 15% of total thrombosis, focal wall thrombosis (30%), advential focal linfoplasmocitory reaction (100%), myocells calcification (15%), total reendotelization (60%) and partial (30%). Our data show that bovine tail artery has a diameter adequacy with small arteries, is long enough to replace or reach several distal arterial segments, has easy epitelization, and absence of cytological reation, allowding its use as an alternative graft.
Femoral artery; Bioprosthesis; Biocompatible materials