Foreign Body Reaction

Abstract The foreign body reaction composed of macrophages and foreign body giant cells is the end‐stage response of the inflammatory and wound healing responses following implantation of a medical device. An overview of events leading to the foreign body reaction is presented. These events include protein adsorption, monocyte adhesion, macrophage adhesion and activation, macrophage fusion and foreign body giant cell formation, and fibrous capsule formation. Biomaterial surface properties play an important role in modulating the foreign body reaction in the first two to three weeks following implantation of a medical device even though the foreign body reaction at the tissue/material interface is present for thein vivolifetime of the medical device.