[Clinical application of implantation of vascular bundle into silicone tube to bridge the peripheral nerve defect]

In order to improve the therapeutic effect of non-neural tissue in bridging the peripheral nerve defect and increase the blood supply of the implant, the silicone tube was chosen to bridge the gap, and the vessel bundle was inserted into the tube. The procedures were performed as following: resected the pseudoneuroma and enveloped the proximal and the distal ends in a silicone tube, and then sutured the epineurium and the tube wall with 7/0 stitch. In patients, eleven cases with fifteen nerves were treated, including seven median nerves, five ulnar nerves and three radial nerves. The lengths of the nerve defects were within 3 cm in 13 nerves and 3 cm-5 cm in 2 nerves. They were followed up from one to five years and the result was excellent (M4S4) in 8 nerves, good (M3S3) in 3 and poor (M1S1) in 2. It was discussed that the indication for the procedure should be included: the nerve defect could not be sutured directly, and the patient would not agree to use his own nerve for graft.