TABLE II.

Tissue Integration^a,b

	Neovascularization			Cellular Infiltration			Collagen Deposition			Fibroblast Proliferation
	2 weeks	2 months	5 months	2 weeks	2 months	5 months	2 weeks	2 months	5 months	2 weeks	2 months	5 months
EDC/NHS	1.25 ± 0.4	1.2 ± 0.4	2 ± 0	4 ± 0	3.75 ± 0.4	4 ± 0	1.5 ± 0.5	2.2 ± 0.4	2 ± 1*	1.5 ± 0.5	2.2 ± 0.4	2 ± 1
Genipin	2.75 ± 0.4	1.2 ± 0.4	2.33 ± 0.5	3.5 ± 0.5	3.2 ± 0.4	4 ± 0	2 ± 0	2.8 ± 0.4	3.5 ± 0.5*	2 ± 0	2.8 ± 0.4	3.5 ± 0.5
Prolene	1 ±0	0.6 ± 0.8	2 ± 0	1 ± 0	1 ±0.6	4 ± 0	3.67 ± 0.5	2.2 ± 0.45	3.75 ± 0.5*	3.67 ± 0.47	2.2 ±0.4	2.75 ± 0.82
Xenmatrix	0 ± 0	0 ± 0	0 ± 0	0 ± 0	0 ± 0	0 ± 0	0 ± 0	0 ± 0	0 ± 0	0 ± 0	0 ± 0	0 ± 0

^*Mann-Whitney pair-wise tests for new collagen deposition scores run between Prolene and GCC and Prolene and ECC meshes showed no significant differences.

^aParameters were defined as follows: neovascularization: indicated by the presence and outgrowth of capillary buds and sprouts; cellular infiltration: indicated by the density of nuclei within the bulk of the scaffold material; new collagen deposition: indicated by cellularized area with quasi aligned collagen fibers conforming to the direction of the mesh material; fibroblast proliferation: indicated by the density of fibroblasts within the bulk of the mesh material.

^bScoring for tissue integration parameters reported as the mean ± SD at 2 weeks, 2 months and 5 months. Scores were given on a scale from 0 to 4; 0 = no presence of tissue integration characteristic, 1 = minimal presence, 2 = mild presence, 3 = moderate presence and 4 = extensive presence. Parameters were measured within mesh materials. N = 5 slides were scored in total for each parameter for each mesh type at each time point, or 1 slide per explanted sample from each animal at each time point.