Methodology for creating a chronic osseointegrated neural interface for prosthetic control in rabbits

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Regenerative Medicine
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Achieving chronic stability and high selectivity in implantable bidirectional neural interfaces for prosthetic limb control is challenging.
• Current invasive electrode arrays offer specificity but lack long-term stability due to soft tissue mismatch.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel surgical approach for creating a stable osseointegrated neural interface within the medullary canal.
• To evaluate the histomorphological capacity and chronic physiological function of transposed nerves within the medullary canal.

Main Methods:

• A surgical model involving transfemoral amputation and sciatic nerve transposition into the medullary canal was established in rabbits.
• Histomorphological analysis was performed to assess neural interface formation within the medullary canal.
• Compound nerve action potentials were recorded to quantify the physiological capacity of transposed nerves.

Main Results:

• Transposed nerves demonstrated stability for up to 12 weeks post-surgery.
• The formation of a neural interface within the medullary canal was confirmed.
• Nerve regeneration and physiological capacity were not impeded by the procedure.

Conclusions:

• This research provides the first evidence for the surgical creation of an osseointegrated neural interface.
• This interface is capable of chronic stimulation and recording from amputated nerves, crucial for advanced prosthetic control.