Peripheral Nerve Regeneration: Current Status and New Strategies Using Polymeric Materials

• Published in: Advanced healthcare materials Vol. 5; no. 21; pp. 2732 - 2744
• Main Authors: Pinho, Ana C., Fonseca, Ana C., Serra, Arménio C., Santos, José D., Coelho, Jorge F. J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.11.2016; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Animals; Autografts - drug effects; Axons - drug effects; Biocompatible Materials - administration & dosage; Biocompatible Materials - chemistry; Conduits; Guided Tissue Regeneration - methods; Humans; Injuries; nerve guides; Nerve Regeneration - drug effects; Nerves; Peripheral Nerve Injuries - drug therapy; Peripheral nerves; Peripheral Nerves - drug effects; polymers; Polymers - administration & dosage; Regeneration; Regulatory agencies; Strategy; Tissue Scaffolds - chemistry; peripheral nerves; polymers; regeneration; nerve guides
• ISSN: 2192-2640; 2192-2659; 2192-2659
• DOI: 10.1002/adhm.201600236

Experiments concerning peripheral nerve regeneration have been reported since the end of the 19th century. The need to implement an effective surgical procedure in terms of functional recovery has resulted in the appearance of several approaches to solve this problem. Nerve autograft was the first approach studied and is still considered the gold standard. Since autografts require donor harvesting, other strategies involving the use of natural materials have also been studied. Nevertheless, the results were not very encouraging and attention has moved towards the use of nerve conduits made from polymers, whose properties can be easily tailored and which allow the nerve conduit to be easily processed into a variety of shapes and forms. Some of these materials are already approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), as is presented here. Furthermore, polymers with conductive properties have very recently been subject to intensive study in this field, since it is believed that such properties have a positive influence in the regeneration of the new axons. This manuscript intends to give a global view of the mechanisms involved in peripheral nerve regeneration and the main strategies used to recover motor and sensorial function of injured nerves. Peripheral nerve regeneration is a subject that has been studied over the past 100 years. Due to many variables related to this issue, including dimensions of the nerve gap and even the type of nerve injured, there is no proper standard solution for its treatment. The aim of this review is to give an overview about the strategies and new materials that have been used for peripheral nerve regeneration and also to list some commercial products already approved by the FDA.