US Food and Drug Administration/Conformit Europe-Approved Absorbable Nerve Conduits for Clinical Repair of Peripheral and Cranial Nerves

TLDR

Several FDA‑ and CE‑approved absorbable nerve conduits exist for peripheral and cranial nerve repair, yet surgeons often lack awareness of their differing biomaterials and no prospective comparative studies have been published. The paper provides an overview of FDA‑ and CE‑approved absorbable nerve conduits for clinical nerve repair. The authors reviewed PubMed, MEDLINE, and manufacturer data, identifying two collagen‑based and two synthetic‑polyester‑based absorbable conduits. Clinical data, price, length, and composition vary, and the authors recommend the PGA (Neurotube) conduit for peripheral and cranial nerve defects because of its favorable length, price, and available clinical evidence.

Abstract

Several absorbable nerve conduits are approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Conformit Europe (CE) for clinical repair of peripheral and cranial nerves. Surgeons are often not aware of the different (bio)materials of these conduits when performing nerve repair. An overview of these FDA- and CE-approved absorbable nerve conduits for clinical use is presented. PubMed, MEDLINE, and the companies selling the conduits were consulted. The available FDA and CE absorbable nerve conduits for peripheral and cranial nerve repair are 2 collagen- and 2 synthetic-polyester-based conduits. The available clinical data, the price, the length, and the composition of the tube show significant differences. Based on the available data in this paper at this moment, we favor the PGA (Neurotube) nerve conduit for repair of peripheral and cranial nerve defects because of its advantages in length, price, and availability of clinical data. However, no prospective studies comparing the available nerve conduits have been published.