title: Two-ply biodegradable nerve guide: basic aspects of design, construction and biological performance.
abstract: A synthetic biodegradable nerve guide was constructed of two polymeric layers: an inner microporous layer prepared from a copolymer of L-lactide and epsilon-caprolactone (pore size range 0.5-1 micron) and an outer microporous layer prepared from a polyurethane/poly(L-lactide) mixture (pore size range 30-70 microns). This nerve guide was used to bridge a 7 mm gap in the right sciatic nerve of rats. It enabled the sciatic nerve to regenerate across the gap, forming a new, well-defined nerve that effectively re-established the contact between the proximial and distal nerve end, as effective as an autograft.
authors.affiliation: Department of Polymer Chemistry, University of Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Hoppen
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Leenslag
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Pennings
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: van der Lei
authors.forename: P H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Robinson
mesh_terms: D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D004867:Equipment Design; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000187:drug effects; D009431:Neural Conduction / Q000187:drug effects; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000494:pharmacology; D011108:Polymers; D019736:Prostheses and Implants; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery
chemical_list: D010446:Peptide Fragments; D011108:Polymers; C028024:ACTH (4-9); D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone