ABSTRACT
A silicone tube (S-tube) was packed with CPLA (copolymer of poly-L-lactide) fibers
(S-tube+CPLA) or collagen fibers (S-tube+fiber). Two types of tube were prepared from
a collagen sheet (Col-tube) and a bioabsorbable atelocollagen membrane for guided
tissue regeneration (GTR-tube). They were packed with collagen fibers or films (Col-tube+fiber,
GTR-tube+fiber and GTR-tube+film). Bridge grafting (15 mm in length) was performed
with these tubes in a rat sciatic nerve model. Specimens were harvested after 8 weeks.
Minifascicles were formed in the open space between the CPLA fibers in the S-tube+CPLA
group. Regenerated axons were also formed in the degenerated collagen fibers in the
S-tube+Col group. Immunocytochemistry evaluation revealed that Schwann cells invaded
the space in the absorbing collagen fibers. Histologic analysis of the regenerated
axons in the groups with Col-tubes or GTR-tubes revealed that both the Col-tube and
the GTR-tube packed with collagen fibers were effective in providing a scaffold for
regenerating nerve tissue.
