{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,27]],"date-time":"2026-10-27T04:23:12Z","timestamp":1793074992002,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":33,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,8,4]],"date-time":"2023-08-04T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1691107200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"MedSkin Solutions Dr. Suwelack"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS ONE"],"abstract":"<jats:sec id=\"sec001\"><jats:title>Introduction<\/jats:title><jats:p>Extensive scar tissue formation after peripheral nerve injury or surgery is a common problem. To avoid perineural scarring, implanting a mechanical barrier protecting the nerve from inflammation processes in the perineural environment has shown promising results for functional recovery. This study investigates the potential of an acellular collagen-elastin matrix wrapped around a peripheral nerve after induction of scar tissue formation.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec id=\"sec002\"><jats:title>Materials and methods<\/jats:title><jats:p>In the present study, 30 Lewis rats were separated into three groups and sciatic nerve scarring was induced with 2.5% glutaraldehyde (GA-CM) or 2.5% glutaraldehyde with a supplemental FDA-approved acellular collagen-elastin matrix application (GA+CM). Additionally, a sham group was included for control. Nerve regeneration was assessed by functional analysis using the Visual Statisc Sciatic Index (SSI) and MR neurography during the 12-week regeneration period. Histological and histomorphometry analysis were performed to evaluate the degree of postoperative scar tissue formation.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec id=\"sec003\"><jats:title>Results<\/jats:title><jats:p>Histological analysis showed an extensive scar tissue formation for GA-CM. Connective tissue ratio was significantly (p &lt; 0.009) reduced for GA+CM (1.347 \u00b1 0.017) compared to GA-CM (1.518 \u00b1 0.057). Similarly, compared to GA+CM, MR-Neurography revealed extensive scar tissue formation for GA-CM with a direct connection between nerve and paraneural environment. Distal to the injury site, quantitative analysis presented significantly higher axon density (p = 0.0145), thicker axon diameter (p = 0.0002) and thicker myelinated fiber thickness (p = 0.0008) for GA+CM compared to GA-CM. Evaluation of functional recovery revealed a significantly faster regeneration for GA+CM.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec id=\"sec004\"><jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title><jats:p>The supplemental application of an acellular collagen-elastin matrix showed beneficial effects in histological, radiological, and functional analysis. Therefore, applying a collagen-elastin matrix around the nerve after peripheral nerve injury or surgery may have beneficial effects on preventing scar tissue formation in the long run. This represents a feasible approach to avoid scar tissue formation in peripheral nerve surgery.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0289677","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,8,4]],"date-time":"2023-08-04T17:31:51Z","timestamp":1691170311000},"page":"e0289677","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":12,"title":["Avoiding scar tissue formation of peripheral nerves with the help of an acellular collagen 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