Collagen-chitosan nerve guides for peripheral nerve repair: a histomorphometric study.

Currently a wide variety of polymer materials are being applied to fabricate nerve guide tubes to repair injured peripheral nerves. In this study we have examined whether collagen-chitosan nerve guides promotes nerve repair compared to chitosan nerve guides using histological analysis. Results indicates that the enclosed structure of the nerve guide both promotes and supports axonal sprouting. Collagen-chitosan guides improved axonal maturation measured by a significant increase in axon diameter and axon area. These findings indicate that the collagen-chitosan nerve guides can be applied to repair severed peripheral nerve ends.