Beyond decoration: free-standing lace embroidery for 3D shaped surgical mesh implants

Abstract

Abstract Conventional mesh pockets manufactured from flat textiles by cutting and sewing often display wrinkles, excess material, and suboptimal fit on curved surfaces. This study demonstrates that free-standing lace embroidery enables the production of near-net-shape hemispherical mesh pockets with predefined pore geometries using standard embroidery machines. These pockets are scalable to different implant sizes and shapes. Experimental evaluations, including tensile and drop testing as well as 3D surface scanning, confirmed that the pockets are mechanically robust and exhibit excellent conformity with minimal wrinkling. These results highlight the potential of embroidery as a versatile platform for developing patient-specific surgical mesh implants.