PRP and other techniques for restoring function across peripheral nerve gaps

Restoring function to peripheral nerves with a gap is challenging, with <50% of patients undergoing nerve repair surgery recovering function. Sensory nerve grafts (autografts) are the clinical “gold standard” for bridging nerve gaps to restore sensory and motor function. They have significant limitations and restore meaningful function only across short gaps when repairs are performed soon after trauma and patients are young. When the value of any of these variables is large, the extent of recovery decreases precipitously, and when two or all are simultaneously large, there is little to no recovery. The extent of restored meaningful recovery has not increased in almost 70 years. Thus, novel techniques are needed that enhance both the extent of recovery and the percentage of patients who recover meaningful recovery. This paper reviews the limitations of autografts and other materials used to repair nerves. It also examines autologous platelet-rich plasma (PRP), a promising nerve gap repair technique that induces recovery in clinical settings where autografts are ineffective, including when the values of all three variables are simultaneously large.