Poly lactic acid--caprolactone copolymer tube with a denatured skeletal muscle segment inside as a guide for peripheral nerve regeneration: a morphological and electrophysiological evaluation of the regenerated nerves.

A biodegradable copolymer of poly L-lactic acid and epsilon-caprolactone (PLAC) was manufactured into a tube, in which a denatured skeletal muscle segment was placed longitudinally. This model tube was implanted as a guide to promote nerve regeneration across a 5 cm gap in the rabbit sciatic nerve. Five months after implantation, good nerve regeneration was found throughout the graft and in the distal host nerve.