Polyethylene Glycol: The Future of Posttraumatic Nerve Repair? Systemic Review

Peripheral nerve injury is a common posttraumatic complication. The precise surgical repair of nerve lesion does not always guarantee satisfactory motor and sensory function recovery. Therefore, enhancement of the regeneration process is a subject of many research strategies. It is believed that polyethylene glycol (PEG) mediates axolemmal fusion, thus enabling the direct restoration of axon continuity. It also inhibits Wallerian degeneration and recovers nerve conduction. This systemic review, performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, describes and summarizes published studies on PEG treatment efficiency in various nerve injury types and repair techniques. Sixteen original experimental studies in animal models and one in humans were analyzed. PEG treatment superiority was reported in almost all experiments (based on favorable electrophysiological, histological, or behavioral results). To date, only one study attempted to transfer the procedure into the clinical phase. However, some technical aspects, e.g., the maximal delay between trauma and successful treatment, await determination. PEG therapy is a promising prospect that may improve the surgical treatment of peripheral nerve injuries in the clinical practice.

• Publication year

  2019

• Venue

  International Journal of Molecular Sciences

• Publication date

  2019-03-01

• Fields of study

  Medicine, Materials Science

• Identifiers
  DOI 10.3390/ijms20061478PMID 30909624PMCID 6471459
• External record

  Open on Semantic Scholar

• Source metadata

  Semantic Scholar, PubMed

• No claims are published for this paper.

• No concepts are published for this paper.

• Fusogens: Chemical Agents That Can Rapidly Restore Function After Nerve Injury.

  2019cited by this paper
• Evaluation of a Nerve Fusion Technique With Polyethylene Glycol in a Delayed Setting After Nerve Injury.

  2018cited by this paper
• Polyethylene glycol fusion associated with antioxidants: A new promise in the treatment of traumatic facial paralysis

  2018cited by this paper
• Conundrums and confusions regarding how polyethylene glycol-fusion produces excellent behavioral recovery after peripheral nerve injuries

  2018cited by this paper
• Polyethylene glycol treated allografts not tissue matched nor immunosuppressed rapidly repair sciatic nerve gaps, maintain neuromuscular functions, and restore voluntary behaviors in female rats

  2018cited by this paper
• Polyethylene glycol solutions rapidly restore and maintain axonal continuity, neuromuscular structures, and behaviors lost after sciatic nerve transections in female rats

  2018cited by this paper
• Surgical Technique and Other Protocols Used Probably Did Not Induce Polyethylene Glycol Fusion of Rat Facial Nerves

  2018cited by this paper
• Functional and Anatomical Outcomes of Facial Nerve Injury With Application of Polyethylene Glycol in a Rat Model

  2018cited by this paper
• State-of-the-Art Techniques in Treating Peripheral Nerve Injury

  2017cited by this paper
• Surgical repair in humans after traumatic nerve injury provides limited functional neural regeneration in adults

  2017cited by this paper
• Immediate Enhancement of Nerve Function Using a Novel Axonal Fusion Device After Neurotmesis

  2017cited by this paper
• Predictors of Surgical Outcomes of Traumatic Peripheral Nerve Injuries in Children: An Institutional Experience

  2017cited by this paper
• Peripheral nerve injuries: A retrospective survey of 1124 cases

  2017cited by this paper
• Strategies to promote peripheral nerve regeneration: electrical stimulation and/or exercise

  2016cited by this paper
• The repair Schwann cell and its function in regenerating nerves

  2016cited by this paper
• Polyethylene glycol (PEG): a versatile polymer for pharmaceutical applications

  2016cited by this paper
• A novel therapy to promote axonal fusion in human digital nerves

  2016cited by this paper
• A novel technique using hydrophilic polymers to promote axonal fusion

  2016cited by this paper
• Peripheral Nerve Injury: Stem Cell Therapy and Peripheral Nerve Transfer

  2016cited by this paper
• Local Polyethylene Glycol in Combination with Chitosan Based Hybrid Nanofiber Conduit Accelerates Transected Peripheral Nerve Regeneration

  2016cited by this paper
• Polyethylene glycol fusion repair prevents reinnervation accuracy in rat peripheral nerve

  2016cited by this paper
• Effects of extracellular calcium and surgical techniques on restoration of axonal continuity by polyethylene glycol fusion following complete cut or crush severance of rat sciatic nerves

  2016cited by this paper
• Single-Lumen and Multi-Lumen Poly(Ethylene Glycol) Nerve Conduits Fabricated by Stereolithography for Peripheral Nerve Regeneration In Vivo

  2015cited by this paper
• Prognostic factors for outcome after median, ulnar, and combined median-ulnar nerve injuries: a prospective study.

  2015cited by this paper
• Management and complications of traumatic peripheral nerve injuries.

  2015cited by this paper
• Peripheral nerve regeneration: experimental strategies and future perspectives.

  2015cited by this paper
• The Role of Schwann Cell-Axon Interaction in Peripheral Nerve Regeneration

  2015cited by this paper
• Polyethylene glycol‐fused allografts produce rapid behavioral recovery after ablation of sciatic nerve segments

  2015cited by this paper
• Axonal fusion via conduit-based delivery of hydrophilic polymers

  2015cited by this paper
• Biologic Strategies to Improve Nerve Regeneration after Peripheral Nerve Repair

  2014cited by this paper
• Misdirection and guidance of regenerating axons after experimental nerve injury and repair.

  2014cited by this paper
• Improving peripheral nerve regeneration: from molecular mechanisms to potential therapeutic targets.

  2014cited by this paper
• The role of timing in nerve reconstruction.

  2013cited by this paper
• Effect of Delayed Peripheral Nerve Repair on Nerve Regeneration, Schwann Cell Function and Target Muscle Recovery

  2013cited by this paper
• Sensory Recovery Outcome after Digital Nerve Repair in Relation to Different Reconstructive Techniques: Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review

  2013cited by this paper
• Peripheral axon regrowth: new molecular approaches.

  2013cited by this paper
• Specificity of peripheral nerve regeneration: interactions at the axon level.

  2012cited by this paper
• Cellular mechanisms of plasmalemmal sealing and axonal repair by polyethylene glycol and methylene blue

  2012cited by this paper
• Rapid, effective, and long‐lasting behavioral recovery produced by microsutures, methylene blue, and polyethylene glycol after completely cutting rat sciatic nerves

  2012cited by this paper
• Hydrophilic polymers enhance early functional outcomes after nerve autografting.

  2012cited by this paper
• Neurite transection produces cytosolic oxidation, which enhances plasmalemmal repair

  2012cited by this paper
• A Model for Sealing Plasmalemmal Damage in Neurons and Other Eukaryotic Cells

  2010cited by this paper
• Polyethylene glycol rapidly restores axonal integrity and improves the rate of motor behavior recovery after sciatic nerve crush injury.

  2010cited by this paper
• ROLE OF CHRONIC SCHWANN CELL DENERVATION IN POOR FUNCTIONAL RECOVERY AFTER NERVE INJURIES AND EXPERIMENTAL STRATEGIES TO COMBAT IT

  2009cited by this paper
• ACCELERATING AXON GROWTH TO OVERCOME LIMITATIONS IN FUNCTIONAL RECOVERY AFTER PERIPHERAL NERVE INJURY

  2009cited by this paper
• Chemical communication between regenerating motor axons and Schwann cells in the growth pathway

  2009cited by this paper
• Iatrogenic nerve injuries.

  2009cited by this paper
• Misdirection of regenerating motor axons after nerve injury and repair in the rat sciatic nerve model.

  2008cited by this paper
• The denervated muscle: facts and hypotheses. A historical review

  2006cited by this paper
• Melatonin enhances the in vitro and in vivo repair of severed rat sciatic axons.

  2005cited by this paper
• Vesicle-mediated restoration of a plasmalemmal barrier in severed axons.

  2003cited by this paper
• Plasmalemmal sealing of transected mammalian neurites is a gradual process mediated by Ca2+‐regulated proteins

  2003cited by this paper
• Polyethylene Glycol Rapidly Restores Physiological Functions in Damaged Sciatic Nerves of Guinea Pigs

  2002cited by this paper
• Evaluation of iatrogenic lesions in 722 surgically treated cases of peripheral nerve trauma.

  2001cited by this paper
• Peripheral Nerve Injury and Repair

  2000cited by this paper
• Rapid Induction of Functional and Morphological Continuity between Severed Ends of Mammalian or Earthworm Myelinated Axons

  1999cited by this paper
• Nerve Injury, Axonal Degeneration and Neural Regeneration: Basic Insights

  1999cited by this paper
• Regional difference in epidermal thinning after skin denervation.

  1998cited by this paper
• The physiological and metabolic consequences of muscle denervation.

  1995cited by this paper
• Rapid morphological fusion of severed myelinated axons by polyethylene glycol.

  1990cited by this paper
• Reconnection of severed nerve axons with polyethylene glycol.

  1986cited by this paper
• The role of non-resident cells in Wallerian degeneration

  1984cited by this paper
• Rate of regeneration in human peripheral nerves; analysis of the interval between injury and onset of recovery.

  1947cited by this paper
• THE RATE OF REGENERATION OF NERVE

  1942cited by this paper
• Experiments on the Section of the Glosso-Pharyngeal and Hypoglossal Nerves of the Frog, and Observations of the Alterations Produced Thereby in the Structure of Their Primitive Fibres

  1851cited by this paper
• Journal of Brachial Plexus and Peripheral Nerve Injury Preliminary Investigation of a Polyethylene Glycol Hydrogel "nerve Glue"

  year unknowncited by this paper
• XX. Experiments on the section of the glossopharyngeal and hypoglossal nerves of the frog, and observations of the alterations produced thereby in the structure of their primitive fibres

  year unknowncited by this paper

• Harnessing Polyethylene Glycol 3350 for Enhanced Peripheral Nerve Repair: A Path to Accelerated Recovery

  2025cites this paper
• Experimental, Clinical, and Technical Aspects of Polyethylene Glycol Application to End-to-End Peripheral Nerve Repair.

  2025cites this paper
• Efficacy of Nerve Tape-Assisted PEG Fusion in a Rabbit Tibial Nerve Repair Model

  2025cites this paper
• Advances and challenges in decellularized adipose tissue based composite hydrogels for adipose tissue regeneration: a review over the last fifteen years

  2025cites this paper
• Polyethylene Glycol (PEG)-Assisted Axonal Fusion in the Surgical Management of Brachial Plexus Injury: A Novel Clinical Methodology

  2025cites this paper
• Conductive Chitosan–Graphene Oxide Scaffold with Applications in Peripheral Nerve Tissue Engineering

  2025cites this paper
• A Systematic Review of Registered Clinical Trials for Peripheral Nerve Injuries

  2024cites this paper
• Analytical review of the literature on plastic surgery with a research depth of 5 years according to PubMed data

  2024cites this paper
• An analysis of differential gene expression in peripheral nerve and muscle utilizing RNA sequencing after polyethylene glycol nerve fusion in a rat sciatic nerve injury model

  2024cites this paper
• Mechanisms of Chimeric Cell Therapy in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

  2024cites this paper
• Current perspectives on peripheral nerve repair and management of the nerve gap

  2024cites this paper
• Fibrin Glue Acutely Blocks Distal Muscle Contraction after Confirmed Polyethylene Glycol Nerve Fusion: An Animal Study

  2024cites this paper
• Cell electrospinning and its application in wound healing: principles, techniques and prospects

  2023cites this paper
• Tyrosine-derived polymeric surfactant nanospheres insert cholesterol in cell membranes.

  2023cites this paper
• Application of stem cells, growth factors, small molecules, and biological macromolecules on nerve regeneration: a review and future direction

  2023cites this paper
• Physico‐Chemical Properties of Laponite®/Polyethylene‐oxide Based Composites

  2023cites this paper
• Polyethylene Glycol Fusion Restores Axonal Continuity and Improves Return of Function in a Rat Median Nerve Denervation Model

  2023influential citation
• State of the Art and Current Challenges on Electroactive Biomaterials and Strategies for Neural Tissue Regeneration

  2023cites this paper
• The outcome of polyethylene glycol fusion augmented by electrical stimulation in a delayed setting of nerve repair following neurotmesis in a rat model

  2023influential citation
• Application of Injectable Hydrogels as Delivery Systems in Spinal Cord Injury

  2023cites this paper
• Bioengineered Conductive Scaffolds for Neural Tissue Engineering

  2023cites this paper
• Frontiers of Brachial Plexus Injury: Future Revolutions in the Field

  2022cites this paper
• Proteomics reveals the key molecules involved in curcumin-induced protection against sciatic nerve injury in rats.

  2022cites this paper
• Do Messenger RNA Vaccines Induce Pathological Syncytia?

  2022cites this paper
• Human Exhalation CO2 Sensor Based on the PEI-PEG/ZnO/NUNCD/Si Heterojunction Electrode

  2022cites this paper
• Natural Flammulina velutipes-Based Nerve Guidance Conduit as a Potential Biomaterial for Peripheral Nerve Regeneration: In Vitro and In Vivo Studies.

  2021cites this paper
• Initial findings in traumatic peripheral nerve injury and repair with diffusion tensor imaging

  2021cites this paper
• Peripheral Nerve Injury Treatments and Advances: One Health Perspective

  2021cites this paper
• Evolving Techniques in Peripheral Nerve Regeneration.

  2021cites this paper
• Regenerative rehabilitation of catastrophic extremity injury in military conflicts and a review of recent developmental efforts

  2020cites this paper
• Pediatric Upper Extremity Vascularized Composite Allotransplantation—Progress and Future

  2020cites this paper
• Fibrin Glue and Its Alternatives in Peripheral Nerve Repair.

  2020influential citation
• Materials for peripheral nerve repair constructs: natural proteins or synthetic polymers?

  2020cites this paper
• Neuroregenerative effects of polyethylene glycol and FK-506 in a rat model of sciatic nerve injury.

  2019cites this paper
• Polyethylene glycol treated allografts not tissue matched nor immunosuppressed rapidly repair sciatic nerve gaps, maintain neuromuscular functions, and restore voluntary behaviors in female rats

  2018cites this paper