There are circumstances that make abdominal wall closure unsafe and technically impossible after laparotomy for trauma. In these difficult cases, prosthetic materials may be necessary to temporarily close the abdominal wall. To determine the optimal prosthetic in these instances, a retrospective chart review was conducted in our urban Level I trauma center. Twenty-five patients received 31 abdominal wall prostheses over a 4-year period. There were 7, 8, and 10 patients with 7 Marlex, 9 Dexon, and 15 Goretex prostheses, respectively. Each patient had only one type of prosthesis placed. The average age was 30.7 +/- 12.0 years, injury severity score was 20.3 +/- 7.4, and abdominal trauma index was 35.9 +/- 18.0; there was no significant difference in these values between groups. Eight patients died soon after the prosthesis was placed (average, 12.9 days) secondary to ongoing shock or multiple organ failure. Three of the seven surviving Goretex patients (43%) were intentionally left with small hernias. Three of the six Dexon patients (50%) were left with hernias; one of these eviscerated on day 150 and subsequently died, and the others have disabling gigantic hernias. Three of the four Marlex patients (75%) developed fistulae as a result of erosion into the small bowel or colon. One Marlex patient suffered with a chronically draining abdominal wound for 398 days prior to definitive closure. Goretex appears to be the best prosthetic for temporary abdominal wall closure because it causes less inflammatory reaction because of its smooth surface. It is therefore easier to retrieve at the time of definitive closure and carries less risk of fistula formation than other prostheses. Our Dexon patients suffered with gigantic hernias and one died because of complications of evisceration. We have abandoned the use of Marlex in abdominal wall closure because of the high incidence of fistula formation. We advocate the use of Goretex in temporary abdominal wall closure in this challenging group of patients.