FIG. 3.

The effect of EtO and γ irradiation on the (A) swelling percentage, (B) water content, (C) radial compliance, (D) Young's modulus (longitudinal direction), (E) minimum bend radius, (F) burst pressure, and (G) suture retention strength of PVA 1.5-mm-thin, thick, and 4-mm grafts before and after sterilization. EtO-treated grafts showed lower swelling percentage and water content, and more rigid mechanical properties compared with untreated control and γ groups. The data are presented as the average of n = 3 samples ± SE for swelling percentage and water content, and as the average of n = 4 samples ± SE for all the other data sets. *Represents statistical significance with p ≤ 0.05, **p ≤ 0.01, ***p ≤ 0.001, and ****p ≤ 0.0001.