Assessment of nerve regeneration using nerve guidance conduits in inferior alveolar nerve injuries

Injuries to the inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) often cause persistent sensory deficits and current treatment options such as autografts have limitations. Therefore, it is of interest to evaluate the role of collagen-based nerve guidance conduits (NGCs) in promoting IAN regeneration in 20 rabbits with 5 mm nerve gaps. Functional recovery was assessed by whisker movement scores, electrophysiology and histomorphometric analysis at 4, 8 and 12 weeks. Results showed significantly better outcomes in the NGC group, including higher whisker movement scores, improved CMAP amplitudes and greater axon counts compared to controls. Thus, we show that NGCs enhance structural and functional nerve recovery and represent a promising therapeutic approach for peripheral nerve repair in the maxillofacial region.