REPEATED BIPHASIC CONDUCTING CONDUITS FOR PERIPHERAL NERVE REPAIR

Each year 400,000 Americans sustain nerve transection injuries which require surgical intervention for repair. Due to rapid scar formation which blocks nerve outgrowth, there are no treatment options for the approximately 90% of patients who have gaps greater than 3 cm. Resultantly, researchers have focused on methods to accelerate axon outgrowth. Electrical stimulation studies have accelerated axon outgrowth up to three times the normal rate for up to 48 hours and have shown electric fields up to 600 um were able to direct and accelerate axon outgrowth across the gap. These data led to the hypothesis that repeated electric field gradients up to 600 um would maximize axonal outgrowth. The purpose of this project was to develop and evaluate biphasic conducting materials capable of producing repeated electric field gradients.

Grantor dc:publisher

Wake Forest University

Year dc:date.issued

2013

Author dc:creator

• Rosenbalm, Tabitha Nichole

• bioresorbable conduit

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/10339/39021

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:wakespace.lib.wfu.edu:10339/39021