Abstract
BACKGROUND: Microsuturing, the gold standard for peripheral nerve repair, can create tension and damage at the repair site, potentially impacting regeneration and causing neuroma formation. A sutureless and atraumatic polymer-assisted system was developed to address this challenge and support peripheral nerve repair. The system is based on a biocompatible and biodegradable biosynthetic polymer and consists of a coaptation chamber and a light-activated polymer for securing to the nerve. In this study, we compare the system's biomechanical performance and mechanism of action to microsutures and fibrin repairs. METHODS: The system's fixation force was compared with microsutures and fibrin glue, and evaluated across various nerve diameters through tensile testing. Tension and tissue morphology at the repair site were assessed using finite element modeling and scanning electron microscopy. RESULTS: The fixation force of the polymer-assisted repair was equivalent to microsutures and superior to fibrin glue. This force increased linearly with nerve diameter, highlighting the correlation between polymer surface contact area and performance. Finite element modeling analysis showed stress concentration at the repair site for microsuture repairs, whereas the polymer-assisted repair dissipated stress along the nerve, away from the repair site. Morphological analysis revealed nerve alignment with no tissue trauma for the polymer-assisted repair, unlike microsutures. CONCLUSIONS: The mechanical performance of the polymer-assisted coaptation system is suitable for peripheral nerve repair. The achieved fixation forces are equivalent to those of microsutures and superior to fibrin glue, minimizing stress concentration at the repair site and avoiding trauma to the severed nerve ends.