Analysis of an End Neuroma 6 Months after Capping with a Bioresorbable Polycaprolactone Cap (NEUROCAP®) in a Human Model

Author Info

Dominic Power Samuel George Ute Pohl

Corresponding Author

Samuel George
Peripheral Nerve Fellow, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, UK

A B S T R A C T

Various methods have been described in the literature for the treatment of painful end neuromas. One technique involves capping the neuroma with a biological or synthetic material. However, failure of this technique may result from mechanical irritation of the capped nerve. In addition, the physical act of blocking the nerve end is insufficient to prevent further neuroma formation and additional measures need to be taken to halt the regenerative process of the nerve. A new technique of using a bioresorbable polycaprolactone cap (NEUROCAP®), leaving a chamber distal to the nerve ending, has been studied in animal models. The chamber results in a resultant thinner, cone shaped neuroma with a more organised fascicle structure. The chamber prevents mechanical tether or compression by scar. The cap resorbs, preventing mechanical irritation of the nerve ending. We present a case where a NEUROCAP® was excised 6 months after implantation and the nerve end was studied. This study is the first of its kind, analysed in a human model.

Article Info

Article Type

Case Report

Publication history

Received: Fri 20, Dec 2019
Accepted: Fri 03, Jan 2020
Published: Thu 30, Jan 2020

Copyright

© 2023 Samuel George. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Hosting by Science Repository.
DOI: 10.31487/j.SCR.2020.01.02