Biomaterial Cuff for Peripheral Nerve Repair

A novel nerve cuff provides a protective environment to help peripheral nerves grow back together after being severed or damaged. The device, a flexible tube available in several sizes, has been cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The cuff is made from Salubria, a moldable, elastic biomaterial designed to replace soft tissue in the body. Classified as a hydrogel Salubria contains water in similar proportions to human tissue and is stronger than hydrogels used for contact lenses. It allows surgeons to repair nerves without the need to remove a vein or nerve from another part of the patient's body, eliminating a second surgery and associated medical costs and complications.

Both the nerve cuff and Salubria are the products of SaluMedica, LLC (Atlanta, GA, USA). The company aims to develop other medical devices based on Salubria. In the near future, SaluMedica hopes to offer osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis patients a less-invasive, more cost-effective alternative to total knee replacement.

"A typical patient for the Salubria nerve cuff is a three-year-old girl who has cut her hand badly in a serious accident,” explained David N. Ku, M.D., president and CEO of SaluMedica. "The nerve cuff lets the surgeon repair the nerve so the girl can regain feeling and function in her fingertips and can write.”



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