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Peripheral Nerve Conduit: Materials and Structures

2019; American Chemical Society; Volume: 10; Issue: 8 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1021/acschemneuro.9b00203

1948-7193

Shadi Houshyar, Amitava Bhattacharyya, Robert A. Shanks,

Electrospun Nanofibers in Biomedical Applications

Peripheral nerve injuries (PNIs) are the most common injury types to affect the nervous system. Restoration of nerve function after PNI is a challenging medical issue. Extended gaps in transected peripheral nerves are only repaired using autologous nerve grafting. This technique, however, in which nerve tissue is harvested from a donor site and grafted onto a recipient site in the same body, has many limitations and disadvantages. Recent studies have revealed artificial nerve conduits as a promising alternative technique to substitute autologous nerves. This Review summarizes different types of artificial nerve grafts used to repair peripheral nerve injuries. These include synthetic and natural polymers with biological factors. Then, desirable properties of nerve guides are discussed based on their functionality and effectiveness. In the final part of this Review, fabrication methods and commercially available nerve guides are described.