Tissue engineering of peripheral nerves: Epineurial grafts with application of cultured Schwann cells
- 1 January 2003
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Wiley in Microsurgery
- Vol. 23 (1), 72-77
- https://doi.org/10.1002/micr.10081
Abstract
After a simple nerve lesion, primary microsurgical suture is the treatment of choice. A nerve gap has to be bridged, with a nerve graft sacrificing a functioning nerve. Alternatively, tissue engineering of nerve grafts has become a subject of experimental research. It is evident that nerve regeneration requires not only an autologous, allogenous, or biodegradable scaffold, but additional interactions with regeneration‐promoting Schwann cells. In this study, we compared epineurial and acellularized epineurial tubes with and without application of cultured Schwann cells as alternative grafts in a rat sciatic nerve model. Autologous nerve grafts served as controls. Evaluation was performed after 6 weeks; afterwards, sections of the graft and distal nerve were harvested for histological and morphometrical analysis. Compared to controls, all groups showed a significantly lower number of axons, less well‐shaped remyelinizated axons, and a delay in clinical recovery (e.g., toe spread). The presented technique with application of Schwann cells into epineurial tubes did not offer any major advantages for nerve regeneration. Thus, in this applied model, neither the implantation of untreated nor the implantation of acellularized epineurial tubes with cultured Schwann cells to bridge nerve defects was capable of presenting a serious alternative to the present gold standard of conventional nerve grafts for bridging nerve defects in this model. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc. MICROSURGERY 23:72–77 2003Keywords
This publication has 23 references indexed in Scilit:
- Influence of insulin‐like growth factor‐I (IGF‐I) on nerve autografts and tissue‐engineered nerve graftsMuscle & Nerve, 2002
- Autogenous Venous Graft with One-Stage Prepared Schwann Cells as a Conduit for Repair of Long Segmental Nerve DefectsJournal of Reconstructive Microsurgery, 2002
- End‐to‐Side Neurorrhaphy Evaluation of Axonal Response and Upregulation of IGF‐I and IGF‐II in a Non‐Injury ModelJournal of Reconstructive Microsurgery, 1999
- Sciatic Nerve Regeneration through Venous or Nervous Grafts in the RatExperimental Neurology, 1997
- Peripheral nerve regeneration through nerve guides seeded with adult Schwann cellsNeuropathology and Applied Neurobiology, 1997
- Sciatic Function Index, Nerve Conduction Tests, Muscle Contraction, and Axon Morphometry as Indicators of RegenerationPlastic and Reconstructive Surgery, 1996
- Determining the Maximal Length of a Vein Conduit Used as an Interposition Graft for Nerve RegenerationJournal of Reconstructive Microsurgery, 1996
- Comparison of Macropore, Semipermeable, and Nonpermeable Collagen Conduits in Nerve RepairJournal of Reconstructive Microsurgery, 1993
- Muscle basal lamina: a new graft material for peripheral nerve repairJournal of Neurosurgery, 1986
- Fascicular nerve graft using an empty perineurial tube: An experimental study in the rabbitMicrosurgery, 1983