Repair of Facial Nerve Crush Injury in Rabbits Using Collagen Plus Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor

Facial nerves are frequently crushed or cut during facial surgery. In this study, the feasibility of repairing facial nerves in rabbits after crush or cut off injury was evaluated using collagen conduits with A collagen-binding domain (CBD)-human basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF). A total of 39 six-month-old New Zealand White rabbits were randomly divided into four groups of nine rabbits, and bilateral crush or cut off injuries were made on each animal's face. Three rabbits were classified as the healthy control. The facial nerves were cut or crushed and then were either untreated or wrapped with a collagen conduit plus bFGF. At the 15, 30, and 90 days after the injury, three rabbits in each group were sacrificed. Regeneration of the injured facial nerve was evaluated using electrophysiological examination (compound muscle action potentials, CAMPs), scanning electron microscopy, and histological observation. The results suggested that using collagen conduits with recombinant proteins CBD-bFGF to repair facial nerves with crush or cut off injuries promoted functional facial nerve recovery. This treatment, as a possible therapeutic for patients with facial nerve injury, requires further investigation.