Abstract
Nerve guidance conduits (NGCs) are artificial substitutes for autografts, which serve as the gold standard in treating peripheral nerve injury. A recurring challenge in tissue engineered NGCs is optimizing the cross-sectional surface area to achieve a balance between allowing nerve infiltration while supporting maximum axonal extension from the proximal to distal stump. In this study, we address this issue by investigating the efficacy of an NGC with a higher cross-sectional surface composed of spiral structures and multi-channels, coupled with inner longitudinally aligned nanofibers and protein on aiding nerve repair in critical sized nerve defect. The NGCs were implanted into 15-mm-long rat sciatic nerve injury gaps for 4 weeks. Nerve regeneration was assessed using an established set of assays, including the walking track analysis, electrophysiological testing, pinch reflex assessment, gastrocnemius muscle measurement, and histological assessment. The results indicated that the novel NGC design yielded promising data in encouraging nerve regeneration within a relatively short recovery time. The performance of the novel NGC for nerve regeneration was superior to that of the control nerve conduits with tubular structures. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater 107B: 1410-1419, 2019.