Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 14, 2026
08:03
Building Affordable, Durable, Medium-Fidelity Ballistic Gel Phantoms for Ultrasound-Guided Nerve Block Training
Published on: February 9, 2024
Evaluation of 3D-Printed Thermoplastic Polyurethane Nerve Guidance Conduits
Alexis B Sabido-Barahona1, Rossana F Vargas-Coronado1, Claudia Vásquez-López2
1Materials Department, Centro de Investigación Científica de Yucatán, A. C., Calle 43 No. 130 x 32 y 34, Col. Chuburná de Hidalgo, Mérida 97205, YUC, Mexico.
Polymers
|August 13, 2026
Summary
Fused deposition modeling (FDM) enables the creation of advanced nerve guidance conduits (NGCs) using polyurethanes. These 3D-printed conduits show promise for nerve regeneration due to their biocompatibility and mechanical properties.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Engineering
- Tissue Engineering
- Polymer Science
Background:
- Fused deposition modeling (FDM) is an advanced manufacturing technique increasingly used for fabricating nerve guidance conduits (NGCs).
- NGCs are crucial for peripheral nerve repair, aiming to mimic native nerve architecture and promote regeneration.
- Polyurethanes offer tunable mechanical properties and biocompatibility suitable for neural tissue engineering.
Purpose of the Study:
- To fabricate and characterize polyurethane-based nerve guidance conduits (NGCs) using FDM.
- To evaluate the printability, mechanical performance, and biocompatibility of different NGC designs.
- To assess the potential of these NGCs for peripheral nerve regeneration.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of hollow simple wall, grooved, and gyroid multichannel conduits using TPU 90A and 95A filaments via FDM.
- Material characterization using 1H NMR, FTIR, Raman spectroscopy, DSC, and TGA.
- Mechanical testing including tensile tests and radial compression resistance evaluation.
- Assessment of primary neural cell viability and functionality on the gyroid multichannel conduits.
Main Results:
- Successfully fabricated polyurethane-based NGCs with good printability and thermal stability.
- Mechanical properties, including elastic modulus, were found to be advantageous for nerve repair.
- The gyroid multichannel design exhibited superior radial compression resistance and a highly interconnected internal structure.
- Neural cell viability and functionality were supported by the gyroid multichannel conduit structure.
Conclusions:
- Fused deposition modeling is a viable method for manufacturing polyurethane-based nerve guidance conduits.
- The fabricated NGCs demonstrate favorable mechanical performance and biocompatibility.
- The gyroid multichannel design shows particular promise for enhancing nerve regeneration outcomes.
