Comparison of results between chitosan hollow tube and autologous nerve graft in reconstruction of peripheral nerve defect: An experimental study.

Object: This study evaluated a chitosan tube for regeneration of the injured peripheral nerve in a rodent transected sciatic nerve model in comparison to autologous nerve graft repair.

Methods: Chitosan hollow tube was used to bridge a 10-mm gap between the proximal and distal ends in 11 rats. In the control group, an end-to-end coaptation of 10-mm long autologous nerve graft was performed in 10 rats for nerve reconstruction.