AccScience Publishing / IJB / Online First / DOI: 10.36922/IJB025140120
REVIEW ARTICLE
Early Access

Design, biomaterials, and 3D bioprinting technologies in nerve guidance conduits for injured peripheral nerves: A review

Yuexi Zhuang1 Miriam Seiti1 Eleonora Ferraris1*
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1 Department of Mechanical Engineering, KU Leuven, Jan Pieter de Nayerlaan 5, Sint-Katelijne-Waver, Belgium
Received: 2 April 2025 | Accepted: 26 May 2025 | Published online: 6 June 2025
© 2025 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ )
Abstract

Repairing long-distance peripheral nerve defects and reconstructing corresponding functions remain two major challenges in the field of regenerative medicine. The application of nerve conduits, constructed via neural tissue engineering strategies, has emerged as a prominent research focus and an essential tool for nerve repair. Among neural tissue engineering technologies, additive manufacturing, especially bioprinting, represents one of the most promising fabrication approaches for neural conduits. This review systematically analyses the current research progress on peripheral nerve conduit fabrication, with particular emphasis on how different conduit structures, biomaterials, and additive manufacturing techniques synergistically influence nerve regeneration outcomes. The review also summarizes the principles and recommendations for selecting appropriate nerve conduit structures for different defect lengths and injury stages, providing a theoretical basis for the design and practical application of conduit structures. Special attention is given to the role of advanced bioprinting technologies in enhancing conduit complexity, cell guidance, and functional recovery. Furthermore, this review highlights emerging trends and discusses critical future directions for the integration of structure design, material selection, and printing strategies toward the next generation of nerve conduits. By bridging biomaterials engineering, manufacturing innovations, and regenerative medicine needs, this manuscript aims to provide a comprehensive perspective for advancing peripheral nerve repair.

Keywords
Nerve conduit
Additive manufacturing
Neural tissue engineering
Biofabrication
Funding
The research is funded by the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO) for the doctoral fellowship granted to Yuexi Zhuang, 1S47325N.
Conflict of interest
Eleonora Ferraris is an Editorial Board Member of this journal, but was not in any way involved in the editorial and peer-review process conducted for this paper, directly or indirectly. Separately, other authors declared that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have influenced the work reported in this paper.
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International Journal of Bioprinting, Electronic ISSN: 2424-8002 Print ISSN: 2424-7723, Published by AccScience Publishing