Abstract
Two types of biodegradable block polyurethanes based on polycaprolactone (PCL) and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) were prepared by controlling the regularity of block arrangements, that is, alternating block polyurethanes PUCL-alt-PEG. Traditional random block polyurethanes PUCL-ran-PEG were also prepared for comparison. Nerve repair scaffolds were prepared from these block polyurethanes. The nerve repair scaffolds were tested in a Sprague–Dawley rat peripheral nerve defect model. The nerve regeneration was evaluated by sciatic function index analysis and histological analyses. Results revealed that polyurethane nerve-guided scaffolds exhibited much greater regeneration capabilities than PCL. Particularly, PUCL-alt-PEG exhibited better nerve regeneration than the autograft. These studies warrant further studies toward optimization of the block polyurethane nerve-guided scaffolds for peripheral nerve regeneration.
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