Neural tubes in neurosurgery. Current situation and future

If in the case of injuries to neural structures a tension-free microsurgical coaptation of nerve endings is not possible, the gold standard for reconstruction is autologous nerve transplantation. The disadvantages are the limited amount of available resources in addition to donor site morbidity. An alternative procedure is the tubulization with veins (with or without the insertion of muscle strips) or bridging the defect by means of established procedures with artificial tubes. New materials, such as chitosan tubes, provide new aspects for the bridging of neural defects.