Design and In Vivo Testing of an Anatomic 3D-Printed Peripheral Nerve Conduit in a Rat Sciatic Nerve Model.

ABSTRACT: Background: Three-dimensional (3D) printer technology has seen a surge in use in medicine, particularly in orthopedics. A recent area of research is its use in peripheral nerve repair, which often requires a graft or conduit to bridge segmental defects. Currently, nerve gaps are bridged using autografts, allografts, or synthetic conduits. Purpose: We sought to improve upon the current design of simple hollow, cylindrical conduits that often result in poor nerve regeneration. Previous attempts were made at reducing axonal dispersion with the use of multichanneled conduits. To our knowledge, none has attempted to mimic and test the anatomical topography of the nerve. Methods: Using serial histology sections, 3D reconstruction software, and computer-aided design, a scaffo

SUBMITTER: Chang PS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11583172 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature