FIG. 6.

Defect lengths and illustrations of possible interactions. (A) Average shortest distance between GFAP labeled intact cord stumps at 3 months, open-path designs (*) significantly lower than closed designs (**) (p = 0.002). (B) Illustration of open-path with core scaffold and its orientation within the defect. Nerve roots or regenerating white matter tracts from the lateral funiculus could possibly crawl along the inner core of the scaffold to bridge the defect. (C) Modified designs (dotted lines) could accommodate contusion (left) or hemisection (right) injury models while maintaining the same principles of complete transection designs.