an alternative to the usual technique of preclotting porous textile vascular prostheses prior to surgical implantation is to render them impermeable to blood by impregnation with a cross-linked albumin filler matrix. this material subsequently becomes the foundation for cellular development. the compatibility of such impregnated fabrics with newly formed endothelial cells has been evaluated by an in vitro organotypic culture method. this technique enables the characterization and numeration of cells that develop on blood contact surfaces and enables determination of their rate of development. woven, knitted, and velour fabrics were evaluated following coating with albumin and either storage in tyrode solution or 40 ethanol or desiccation by critical point drying. preclotted cardiovascular repair fabrics prepared according to conventional surgical protocol served as controls. the identification of the newly formed cells was confirmed histologically. the most extensive and rapid cellular development was observed on the woven fabric and is believed may have resulted from the smoother surface topography of this substrate. good cellular development was noted particularly on fabrics which had been stored in tyrode solution. ethanol had a deleterious effect on the apparent compatibility. 25 refs