OBJECTIVE: To study the feasibility of α-cyanoacrylate medical adhesive in fixation of intratemporal facial nerve when nerve was repaired within chitin chamber, and to investigate the nerve regeneration. METHODS: Nerve defect of 6 mm was made in left intratemporal facial nerves of 48 rabbits. All the defects were bridged with chitin chamber and were fixed by α-cyanoacrylate medical adhesive, surgical suture and natural union. Nerve function test and histomorphological examination were carried out at 1 month and 3 months after repair. RESULTS: It was observed that the nerve was fixed firmly to the chamber with no crack or crease by α-cyanoacrylate medical adhesive. The regenerated new nerve fibers were more regular and denser and the neurological function recovered much better in the group fixed by alpha-cyanoacrylate medical adhesive than in the groups those fixed by surgical suture and natural union. CONCLUSION: The medical adhesive is b in adhesion and beneficial to nerve repair; repair of intratemporal facial nerve defect within chitin chamber fixed by alpha-cyanoacrylate medical adhesive is feasible, simple and timesaving.
In recent years, due to the dramatic increase in the number of surgical operations, there has been a clinically significant increase in the demand for medical adhesives capable of cohesion in a moist environment that can overcome blood or tissue fluids in vivo. As the understanding of the mechanisms and key elements of natural adhesion to aquatic organisms continues to develop, a variety of medical adhesives have been developed by mimicking adhesion procedures or utilizing key functional groups. This article will review the classification, adhesion mechanism, use, research progress and development prospects of biomedical adhesives inspired by aquatic organisms octopus and mussels.