Comparison between Flexible Collagen and Vein Conduits Used for Size-Discrepant Nerve Repair: An Experimental Study in Rats
JOURNAL OF RECONSTRUCTIVE MICROSURGERY, vol.30, no.5, pp.329-334, 2014 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Publication Type: Article / Article
- Volume: 30 Issue: 5
- Publication Date: 2014
- Doi Number: 10.1055/s-0033-1356551
- Journal Name: JOURNAL OF RECONSTRUCTIVE MICROSURGERY
- Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus
- Page Numbers: pp.329-334
- Keywords: size discrepancy, collagen conduit, vein conduit, SCIATIC-NERVE, REGENERATION, TUBULIZATION, RECOVERY, GRAFTS, FUTURE, TUBES
- Ondokuz Mayıs University Affiliated: Yes
Abstract
Primary nerve repair is the gold standard in nerve reconstruction. When primary repair is not possible for injured nerves, conduit-assisted repair methods are frequently used. As conduits, autologous vein segments or allogenic biodegradable products can be used. However, their effectiveness when used in a nerve defect where a size discrepancy exists has not been compared. In this study, either a vein graft or a synthetic collagen conduit was used to bridge 10-mm defects between size-discrepant tibial and peroneal nerves in a rat model. After 90 days, nerve regeneration was evaluated using electrophysiological and histological methods. It can be concluded based on the results of this study that bridging a 10-mm nerve gap with synthetic collagen conduits and autologous vein grafts yielded similar results in small-to-large nerve coaptations, with the vein graft being slightly more effective.