Peripheral Nerve Injuries, Peripheral Nerve Tissue Engineering and Reconstruction

Nerve injuries such as stretching, crushing and cutting cause peripheral nerve damage. These injuries cause changes in both the ends and middle parts of the nerve. The best form of treatment is stitching the cut nerve endings as soon as possible. While this treatment may be effective, it is important to acknowledge its limitations. In cases of severe or extensive nerve injury, complete recovery may not be achievable. Therefore, in case of defective injuries, it is preferred to repair by taking a graft from one's own nerve tissue. However, it should not be forgotten that this method may cause problems and surgical difficulties in the donor area. Removing nerve tissue from another person is a controversial method due to the need for immunosuppression and other obstacles. For this reason, new options are sought in peripheral nerve repair and tissue engineering techniques are used. New materials and methods developed through tissue engineering have begun to be applied in the clinic in the form of peripheral nerve conduits and peripheral nerve reconstruction. These studies provide new hope for damaged peripheral nerve repair.