Nerve regeneration through a synthetic microporous tube (expanded polytetrafluoroethylene): experimental study in the sciatic nerve of the rat.

Nerve grafts made of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) were used to bridge 10-mm gaps in the sciatic nerves of rats. The most prominent gross and histological finding was abundant neovascularization and capillary ingrowth through the microporous PTFE wall. Organized, myelinated nerve tissue was observed. After 4 months, regeneration through hollow PTFE tubes (N = 16) was equivalent to autogenous nerve grafts (N = 12) as measured by gastrocnemius muscle weights (P = 0.33). Nerve conduction velocity in the hollow PTFE tubes was 21.7 m/sec as compared to 50.6 m/sec in the control nerves (P less than 0.001).