Systematic Review of Nerve Adhesion Barriers for Peripheral Nerve Regeneration and Functional Recovery

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Regenerative Medicine
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Peripheral nerve injury (PNI) leads to poor functional outcomes, impaired nerve regeneration, and loss of sensory/motor function.
• Nerve tissue loss, prolonged denervation, and nerve adhesion hinder regeneration and healing.
• Current interventions like microsurgery and nerve conduits have limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review the efficacy of nerve adhesion barriers in promoting nerve regeneration and functional recovery following PNI.
• To evaluate the impact of these barriers on reducing adhesion and improving nerve alignment.

Main Methods:

• A systematic literature search was conducted across PubMed, Cochrane, EMBASE, and Medline databases.
• The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 guidelines were followed.
• Study quality and risk of bias were assessed using SYRCLE and Cochrane RoB-2 tools.

Main Results:

• Five studies (four animal, one human RCT) met inclusion criteria, evaluating various nerve adhesion materials.
• Histological analysis indicated enhanced nerve regeneration hallmarks in intervention groups.
• Improvements in motor and sensory function were observed in most parameters across studies.

Conclusions:

• Nerve adhesion barriers demonstrate potential for enhancing nerve regeneration and functional recovery in PNI by minimizing adhesion and improving structural alignment.
• The clinical applicability in humans is uncertain due to the limited number of studies and reliance on animal data.
• Further long-term clinical trials are necessary to establish the efficacy of these barriers.