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J Hand Microsurg 2018; 10(02): 61-65
DOI: 10.1055/s-0038-1626687
Review Article
Thieme Medical and Scientific Publishers Private Ltd.

Nerve Repair with Nerve Conduits: Problems, Solutions, and Future Directions

Ryan Rebowe
1   Department of Orthopaedics, Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, Winston Salem, North Carolina, United States
,
Ashley Rogers
1   Department of Orthopaedics, Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, Winston Salem, North Carolina, United States
,
Xuebin Yang
2   Department of Oral Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
,
S. C. Kundu
3   Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, West Bengal, India
,
Thomas L. Smith
1   Department of Orthopaedics, Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, Winston Salem, North Carolina, United States
,
Zhongyu Li
1   Department of Orthopaedics, Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, Winston Salem, North Carolina, United States
› Author Affiliations Funding Partially supported by research grants from British Council's UKIERI Trilateral research partnerships 2011 (Yang, Kundu, and Li) and Department of Defense CDMRP (US) grant OR120157P1 (Smith and Li).
Further Information

Publication History

Received: 07 September 2017

Accepted: 02 January 2018

Publication Date:
20 March 2018 (online)

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Abstract

Nerve conduits are becoming increasingly popular for the repair of peripheral nerve injuries. Their ease of application and lack of donor site morbidity make them an attractive option for nerve repair in many situations. Today, there are many different conduits to choose in different sizes and materials, giving the reconstructive surgeon many options for any given clinical problem. However, to properly utilize these unique reconstructive tools, the peripheral nerve surgeon must be familiar not only with their standard indications but also with their functional limitations. In this review, the authors identify the common applications of nerve conduits, expected results, and shortcomings of current techniques. Furthermore, future directions for nerve conduit use are identified.

Keywords

nerve injury - nerve conduit - nerve palsy - nerve gap