Bioresorbable Synthetic Nerve Guide

A new synthetic peripheral nerve guide is a bioresorbable tube sutured to both ends of a transected nerve, which guides the outgrowing nerve in a protective environment, preventing neuroma formation. The guide has been cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

After the nerve function has been restored, the nerve guide is gradually resorbed by the body. Its transparency helps surgeons to close the nerve gap more easily and rapidly. Since it is synthetic, the nerve guide poses no safety questions for patients, unlike some animal-derived materials. Called Neurolac, the guide was developed by Polyganics B.V. (Groningen, The Netherlands), which states that the guide is the first bioresorbable synthetic transparent nerve guide.

"Currently, the standard surgical treatment for repair of peripheral nerve lesions is end-to-end suturing or if the gap is too large, the interposition of a nerve transplant from another part of the patient's body,” noted Jan-Bart Hak, manager, clinical and regulatory affairs, of Polyganics. "Both techniques are time consuming, give rise to complications, and do not lead to optimal nerve function recovery.”




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