Recurrent laryngeal nerve regeneration by tissue engineering.
The recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) does not regenerate well after it has been cut, and no current surgical methods achieve functional regeneration. Here, we evaluate the functional regeneration of the RLN after reconstruction using a biodegradable nerve conduit or an autologous nerve graft. The nerve conduit was made of a polyglycolic acid (PGA) tube coated with collagen. A 10-mm gap in the resected nerve was bridged by a PGA tube in 6 adult beagle dogs (group 1) and by an autologous nerve graft in 3 dogs (group 2). Fiberscopic observation revealed functional regeneration of the RLN in 4 of the 6 dogs in group 1. No regeneration of the RLN was observed in any dog in group 2. We also tested for axonal transport, and measured the compound muscle action potential. The RLN can be functionally regenerated with a PGA tube, which may act as a scaffold for the growth of regenerating axons.
Kanemaru
Shin-Ichi
S
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Kyoto University Faculty of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan.
Nakamura
Tatsuo
T
Omori
Koichi
K
Kojima
Hisayoshi
H
Magrufov
Akhmar
A
Hiratsuka
Yasuyuki
Y
Ito
Juichi
J
Shimizu
Yasuhiko
Y
D020341:Absorbable Implants; D000818:Animals; D003094:Collagen; D004285:Dogs; D004558:Electric Stimulation / Q000295:instrumentation; D005336:Fiber Optic Technology / Q000295:instrumentation; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000502:physiology*; D009431:Neural Conduction / Q000502:physiology; D010525:Peripheral Nerves / Q000637:transplantation; D011100:Polyglycolic Acid; D012009:Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology* / Q000601:surgery*; D013957:Thyroid Cartilage / Q000601:surgery; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D014132:Trachea / Q000601:surgery; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous; D014827:Vocal Cords / Q000294:innervation
D011100:Polyglycolic Acid; D003094:Collagen