title: End-to-side neurorrhaphy using an electrospun PCL/collagen nerve conduit for complex peripheral motor nerve regeneration.
abstract: In cases of complex neuromuscular defects, finding the proximal stump of a transected nerve in order to restore innervation to damaged muscle is often impossible. In this study we investigated whether a neighboring uninjured nerve could serve as a source of innervation of denervated damaged muscle through a biomaterial-based nerve conduit while preserving the uninjured nerve function. Tubular nerve conduits were fabricated by electrospinning a polymer blend consisting of poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) and type I collagen. Using a rat model of common peroneal injury, the proximal end of the nerve conduit was connected to the side of the adjacent uninjured tibial branch (TB) of the sciatic nerve after partial axotomy, and the distal end of the conduit was connected to the distal stump of the common peroneal nerve (CPN). The axonal continuity recovered through the nerve conduit at 8 weeks after surgery. Recovery of denervated muscle function was achieved, and simultaneously, the donor muscle, which was innervated by the axotomized TB also recovered at 20 weeks after surgery. Therefore, this end-to-side neurorrhaphy (ETS) technique using the electrospun PCL/collagen conduit appears to be clinically feasible and would be a useful alternative in instances where autologous nerve grafts or an adequate proximal nerve stump is unavailable.
authors.affiliation: Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA.
authors.forename: Bu-Kyu
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Young Min
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Ju
authors.forename: Jae-Gu
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: John D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.forename: Sang Jin
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Atala
authors.forename: James J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Yoo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000378:metabolism; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D024042:Collagen Type I / Q000737:chemistry*; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000294:innervation; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000502:physiology*; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D010525:Peripheral Nerves / Q000502:physiology* / Q000601:surgery; D010543:Peroneal Nerve / Q000293:injuries / Q000502:physiology / Q000601:surgery; D011091:Polyesters / Q000737:chemistry*; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000293:injuries / Q000601:surgery; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D024042:Collagen Type I; D011091:Polyesters; C016240:polycaprolactone