Abstract:

After a systemic study with a wide range of the temporal and structural variation, promising clinical applications can be pursued using this temporal structural nerve regeneration; forinstance, a guided nerve regeneration from the proximal nerve to the severed target distal nerve. This is dependent on a proper nerve regeneration where enough number of axonal growth should be initiated and guided to the target nerve stump using scaffolding materials and finally reinnervate to the target muscles. For final clinical uses, the scaffolding material will be switched with biodegradable materials using the same fabrication technique. While the well guided regenerated nerves regain the functional control on the target muscles, the biodegradable scaffolds will also disappear. The other benefit of the temporal and structural guidance of the growth cone and axonal branching is the selective nerve regeneration to the specific nerves and proper sensory and motor axonal connection to improve misdirection of the regenerated nerves. This could be achieved with an additional capability of the multilayer microchannel scaffolds with biochemical guidance.