The peripherical nervous regeneration can help the axonal regeneration and fiber reorganization, performing in nerve injury after trauma. In the present study the regeneration of sciatic nerve was observed inside the poly(L-lactide acid-co-D,L-lactide acid) tubes made with membranes obtained by solvent evaporation The tubes were implanted around the sectioned sciatic nerves of 20 rats Spreague Dawley and analized after 4, 8 and 12 weeks by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), gel permeation chromatography (GPC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and the nerve regeneration was analyzed by light microscopy (LM). It was verified an increase of nerve diameter in function of tube degradation process. DSC and GPC analysis of PLDLA showed Tg at 57ºC and molar mass (Mw) of 197 989 gmol-1, respectively. Nitid variations of these values were observed after 8 weeks of degradation, with Tg at 40ºC and Mw of 170000 gmol-1 . TGA data also indicated degradation process with Ti at 333 ºC before degradation and 305ºC after 12 weeks. SEM showed formation of pores after 8 weeks of degradation This study indicated that the PLDLA tubes are promissing to regeneration of sciatic nerves.
Poly(L-co-D,L-lactide acid); in vivo degradation; nervous regeneration; membranes
