A novel flexible nerve guidance conduit promotes nerve regeneration while providing excellent mechanical properties

Abstract

Autografting is the gold standard for surgical repair of nerve defects > 5 mm in length; however, autografting is associated with potential complications at the nerve donor site. As an alternative, nerve guidance conduits may be used. The ideal conduit should be flexible, resistant to kinks and lumen collapse, and provide physical cues to guide nerve regeneration. We designed a novel flexible conduit using electrospinning technology to create fibers on the innermost surface of the nerve guidance conduit and employed melt spinning to align them. Subsequently, we prepared disordered electrospun fibers outside the aligned fibers and helical melt-spun fibers on the outer wall of the electrospun fiber lumen. The presence of aligned fibers on the inner surface can promote the extension of nerve cells along the fibers. The helical melt-spun fibers on the outer surface can enhance resistance to kinking and compression and provide stability. Our novel conduit promoted nerve regeneration and functional recovery in a rat sciatic nerve defect model, suggesting that it has potential for clinical use in human nerve injuries.