TY - JOUR
T1 - Pores in synthetic nerve conduits are beneficial to regeneration
AU - Vleggeert-lankamp, C.L.A.M.
AU - de Ruiter, G.C.W.
AU - Wolfs, J.F.C.
AU - Pêgo, A.P.
AU - van den Berg, R.J.
AU - Feirabend, H.K.P.
AU - Malessy, M.J.A.
AU - Lakke, E.A.J.F.
PY - 2007
Y1 - 2007
N2 - Current opinion holds that pores in synthetic nerve guides facilitate nerve regeneration. Solid factual support for this opinion, however, is absent; most of the relevant studies assessed only morphological parameters and results have been contradictory. To evaluate the effect of pores, the rat sciatic nerve was either autografted or grafted with nonporous, macroporous (10-230 m), and microporous (1-10 m) biodegradable -caprolactone grafts. Twelve weeks later, the grafted nerves were resected, and the electrophysiological properties were determined in vitro. Subsequently midgraft-level sections were inspected, and peroneal nerve sections were evaluated morphometrically. Finally, the gastrocnemic and tibial muscle morphometrical properties were quantified. The microporous nerve graft performed much better than the nonporous and macroporous grafts with respect to most parameters: it was bridged by a free floating bundle that contained myelinated nerve fibers, there were more nerve fibers present distal to the graft, the electrophysiological response rate was higher, and the decrease in muscle cross-sectional area was markedly smaller. Hence, the present study demonstrates the beneficial effect of synthetic nerve guide pores on nerve regeneration, although with the caveat that not pores per se, but only small (1-10 m) pores were effective.
AB - Current opinion holds that pores in synthetic nerve guides facilitate nerve regeneration. Solid factual support for this opinion, however, is absent; most of the relevant studies assessed only morphological parameters and results have been contradictory. To evaluate the effect of pores, the rat sciatic nerve was either autografted or grafted with nonporous, macroporous (10-230 m), and microporous (1-10 m) biodegradable -caprolactone grafts. Twelve weeks later, the grafted nerves were resected, and the electrophysiological properties were determined in vitro. Subsequently midgraft-level sections were inspected, and peroneal nerve sections were evaluated morphometrically. Finally, the gastrocnemic and tibial muscle morphometrical properties were quantified. The microporous nerve graft performed much better than the nonporous and macroporous grafts with respect to most parameters: it was bridged by a free floating bundle that contained myelinated nerve fibers, there were more nerve fibers present distal to the graft, the electrophysiological response rate was higher, and the decrease in muscle cross-sectional area was markedly smaller. Hence, the present study demonstrates the beneficial effect of synthetic nerve guide pores on nerve regeneration, although with the caveat that not pores per se, but only small (1-10 m) pores were effective.
KW - Nerve regeneration
KW - Nerve guide
KW - IR-72337
KW - Porosity
KW - nerve morphology
KW - Electrophysiology
U2 - 10.1002/jbm.a.30941
DO - 10.1002/jbm.a.30941
M3 - Article
VL - 80
SP - 965
EP - 982
JO - Journal of biomedical materials research. Part A
JF - Journal of biomedical materials research. Part A
SN - 1549-3296
IS - 4
ER -