Surface treatment of silicone rubber by carbon negative-ion implantation for nerve regeneration

Abstract

Surface treatment of silicone rubber by carbon negative ion-implantation was investigated for nerve regeneration by “tubulation”. Silicone rubber had its surface property altered to be more hydrophilic by carbon negative-ion implantation. The extracellular matrices of proteins in culture medium adsorbed on the implanted surface rather than unimplanted ones. These improvements in wettability and adsorption properties of proteins were respected to contribute to the regeneration of a nerve-lacking system. An in vivo regeneration test of rat sciatic nerves with silicone-rubber tubes was performed. Using a tube in which the inner surface was implanted with carbon negative ions, the sciatic nerve was regenerated through the inter-stump gap of 15 mm between the proximal and distal nerve stumps and electrical stimulation was transported through the regenerated nerve. Thus, the nerve system was recovered. However, with the unimplanted tube, the nerve was not regenerated at all.