BIOARTIFICIAL NERVE GRAFTS BASED ON ABSORBABLE GUIDING FILAMENT STRUCTURES - EARLY OBSERVATIONS

Gaps 10 mm wide in the sciatic nerves of 64 rats were bridged by bioar tificial nerve grafts consisting of a silicone tube containing seven l ongitudinally placed filaments made of non-absorbable, (polyamide [Eth ilon(R)]) or absorbable, material (polydioxanone [PDS(R)], polyglactin [Vicryl(R)], and catgut). The purpose was to study the organisation o f axonal growth inside the tube along such filaments. After two and fo ur weeks histological techniques were used to study the contents of th e tube and at four weeks immunohistological techniques were used to co nfirm the presence of axons distal to the tube. in all experimental gr oups axons had traversed the tube and reached the distal segment after four weeks. inside the tube axons were organised in multiple minifasc icles in all groups, but there were no axons growing in direct contact with the filaments. We conclude that resorbable filaments placed insi de a silicone tube do not disturb axonal growth across the tube.