title: Repairing a 35-mm-long median nerve defect with a chitosan/PGA artificial nerve graft in the human: a case study.
abstract: We have developed a chitosan/polyglycolic acid (PGA) artificial nerve graft which was previously used for bridge implantation of dog sciatic nerves across 30-mm long defects. Here we describe a clinical trial of this graft for repairing a 35-mm-long median nerve defect at elbow of a human patient. During the 3-year follow-up period, functional recovery of the injured median nerve was assessed by pinch gauge test, hydraulic hand dynamometry, static two-point discrimination and touch test with monofilaments, in couple with electrophysiological examinations. The motor and sensory function of the median nerve demonstrated an ongoing recovery postimplantation, reaching M4 and S3+ levels during the follow-up period. The results indicate that the chitosan/PGA artificial nerve graft could be used for surgical repair of larger defects in major peripheral nerves at a higher level in the human.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, JS, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Weimin
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Jianhui
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.forename: Wen
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Aidong
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.forename: Yimin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Fei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.forename: Xiaosong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Gu
mesh_terms: D048271:Chitosan / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008475:Median Nerve / Q000293:injuries* / Q000502:physiology / Q000601:surgery*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009416:Nerve Regeneration; D052581:Pinch Strength; D011100:Polyglycolic Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019736:Prostheses and Implants; D019919:Prosthesis Implantation; D014110:Touch
chemical_list: D011100:Polyglycolic Acid; D048271:Chitosan