Medical Student Research Fellowship for Summer 2009

Mentor: Dr. Philippe Zimmern & Dr. Robert Eberhart
Department: Urology
Room number: G8.248
Mail Code: 9130
Phone number: 82052
E-mail: robert.eberhart@sbcglobal.net & philippe.zimmern@utsouthwestern.edu

Project title: Biomechanical Properties of Prolapsed Anterior Vaginal Wall

Human subjects IRB approved project number (where applicable): 0402-222

Animal subjects IRB approved project number (where applicable):

Project Type(patient-based research, animal-based research, or basic research; this characterization is only to permit a general classification for grouping similar types of projects)
Patient-based research

Brief Description of Project:
This project, started last summer, is still ongoing and continues to assess the unique biomechanical properties of human vaginal wall tissues of patients with advanced stage 3 and 4 vaginal prolapse and age-comparable controls (no prolapse). Intra-operative anterior vaginal wall tissue elastic properties are measured in vivo with the commercially available "Cutometer" device; then fresh anterior vaginal tissue harvested in the OR during prolapse repair or radical cystectomy (control) is immediately transported with different degrees of hydration to the biomechanical lab for measurement by the uniaxial tensile machine (Instron). Comparative assessment of in-vivo and ex-vivo vaginal wall tissue properties is obtained. In addition, the data is being used for finite element modeling of the anterior vaginal wall towards the dual goals of:1) understanding the deformation of this aged tissue under physiological loading; 2) developing engineered tissue reinforcement or replacement.