THE USE OF A RESORBABLE WRAPPER FOR PERIPHERAL-NERVE REPAIR; EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES IN CHIMPANZEES.

p ROTECTION of the site of a neurorrhaphy from infiltration with fibrous tissue and prevention of neuromatous formation by the use of wrappers, cuffs, or tubes of various materials has been practiced since 1880. At that time Gluck 6 at tempted to interpose a drain of decalcified bone between the severed ends of a sciatic nerve. Fibrous union without return of function, however, resulted. Btingner (1891) 1 enclosed the stumps of a severed nerve within a segment of brachial artery and reported successful regeneration between the stumps. Stookey (19s 13 and Weiss (1944) 16 have summarized the materials and methods used for nerve wrapping and tubulization. Thus, in addition to decalcified bone and vessels, fascia lata, fat, muscle, parchment, Cargile membrane, gelatin, agar, rubber, fibrin film, and various metals have been used with varying degrees of success. Many materials failed because they incited a foreignbody reaction, produced constricting scar tissue, were technically difficult to apply, or required secondary operation for their removal. The partial success of tantalum foil, which was used extensively during World War II, 9,12,1~ and the more recent successful use of Millipore, a microporous cellulose acetate sheet, by Campbell, Bassett et al. 2-4 support the concept that a wrapper or cuff around the site of neurorrhaphy restricts the tendency for regenerating axons to escape into extraneural tissue and prevents connective-tissue invasion of the area of repair. Both tantalum and