Avance Nerve Graft vs. Sural Nerve Autograft for Mixed and Motor Nerve Repair in the Arm
Official title: A Prospective, Randomized, Assessor-Blinded, Multicenter Study Comparing Avance Nerve Graft and Autograft for Functional Recovery Following Mixed and Motor Peripheral Nerve Reconstruction
Run by Axogen Corporation · NCT07657182 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study tests whether Avance Nerve Graft can match or exceed the outcomes of sural nerve autograft for restoring function after mixed or motor nerve injuries in the upper limb.
Quick facts
| Phase | Phase 4 |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 178 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Axogen Corporation Industry-sponsored |
| Drugs / interventions | chemotherapy, radiation |
| Locations | 3 sites (Orlando, Florida and 2 other locations) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | June 11, 2026 |
| Main results expected | December 5, 2030 |
| Study ends | December 5, 2030 |
| Registry record updated | October 8, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT07657182 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Adults 18 years or older undergoing primary or secondary mixed or motor nerve repair in the upper extremity with planned Avance Nerve Graft or sural nerve autograft.
✕Probably not a fit
Patients with injuries not meeting the specified nerve types or surgical criteria, or those outside the 24-month follow-up window, may not benefit.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This multicenter, randomized, evaluator-blinded trial compares Avance Nerve Graft with sural nerve autograft for upper-extremity nerve reconstructions. Participants are adults undergoing reconstruction of mixed or motor nerves in the upper limb and are assigned 1:1 to receive either Avance or autograft, with functional recovery assessed over 24 months. Primary analysis uses non-inferiority to determine if Avance provides similar motor and sensory outcomes as autograft, measured by MRCC scores. The study includes a screening visit, an operative procedure, and 9 follow-up visits at Week 4 and Months 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, and 24. Enrollment and eligibility are guided by predefined inclusion criteria and centralized randomization.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, Avance Nerve Graft could offer a nerve reconstruction option with comparable recovery to autograft, potentially reducing donor-site morbidity.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research in similar nerve reconstruction approaches has shown promising results, supporting the rationale for a non-inferiority comparison.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: Study Participant Criteria 1. Be ≥ 18 years of age at the time of consent; 2. Willing and able to comply with all aspects of the treatment and evaluation schedule over a 24-month duration; 3. Provide documented Institutional Review Board (IRB)/Independent Ethics Committee (IEC)-approved informed consent prior to initiation of any study procedures; Injury/Repair Criteria for Each Nerve 4. Primary or secondary nerve injury repair with sural nerve autograft or Avance Nerve Graft for fully transected reconstruction of the following upper extremity mixed and/or motor nerve(s): * Median nerve: proximal nerve stump within 20 cm from the center point of the thenar eminence and distal to the crease of the elbow; * Anterior interosseous nerve; * Median nerve recurrent motor branch; * Radial nerve: proximal nerve stump within 20 cm of the center of the forearm (midpoint between the tip of the olecranon and the styloid process) and distal to the mid-humerus; * Posterior interosseous nerve. 5. Zone of injury of eligible nerve(s) resectable to healthy nerve both distally and proximally and within the anatomical regions of Inclusion Criterion #4; 6. In study participants with multiple eligible nerve repairs, repair of all eligible nerves completed with the same study treatment, either Avance Nerve Graft or sural nerve autograft; 7. Measured nerve gap(s) following resection \> 25 mm; 8. Nerve(s) repaired ≤ 120 days post injury; 9. Undergo coaptation on both the proximal and distal portion of the nerve gap(s) per the USPI for Avance Nerve Graft and per standard of care for sural nerve autograft; and 10. Either treatment method, Avance Nerve Graft or sural nerve autograft, is a viable option for all eligible nerve repair(s) (i.e., volume of injured nerve\[s\] does not exceed availability of sural nerve autograft for reconstruction, study participants are not treated with a combination of treatment types). Exclusion Criteria: Study Participant Criteria 1. Currently enrolled in another clinical study that may interfere with treatment, assessment of recovery, or participation in this study; 2. Deformities or injuries of the limb, hand, or digits that affect both the primary and secondary assessments for eligible nerve repair(s); 3. History of neuropathy of any etiology, diabetic neuropathy or any other known neuropathy including compressive/traumatic neuropathies affecting the target limb; 4. History of progressive neurodegenerative or autoimmune disorder affecting peripheral nerve or motor function (e.g., amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease); 5. History of chronic ischemic condition of the upper extremity; 6. Expected use of medication during the study that is known to impact nerve regeneration or to cause peripheral neuropathy; 7. Undergoing or expected to undergo treatment with chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or other known treatment which affects the growth of neural and/or vascular systems; 8. Participant is unlikely to comply with all study requirements and standard medical care procedures for the duration of the study schedule; Injury/Repair Criteria for Each Nerve 9. Median nerve repairs where the ulnar nerve has been transected due to injury or repair; 10. Repair(s) of a sensory-only proximal nerve stump; 11. Incomplete nerve transections; 12. Multilevel nerve injury pattern requiring two or more isolated reconstructions along the nerve pathway (for example, reconstruction of median nerve in forearm and recurrent motor branch resulting in repair pattern of graft to native nerve to graft to distal target); 13. Inadequate soft tissue coverage or extensive soft tissue injury which will impair recovery assessment; 14. Nerve avulsion injuries and nerve traction injuries resulting in rupture of the nerve; 15. Replantation/amputation of the limb, hand, or digits involved in both the primary and secondary assessments for eligible nerve repair(s); 16. Nerve repairs utilizing either end-to-side or side-to-side coaptation techniques; 17. Nerve transfer, tendon transfer, or other concomitant treatment at the time of nerve repair that affects assessment of function of the innervated muscle organ; 18. Use of coaptation devices that include metallic components or activated polymers and coaptations completed with fibrin glue only; and 19. Injuries with vascular damage resulting in inadequate perfusion despite repair (i.e., both radial and ulnar arteries injured \[one injured artery is allowed\]).
Where it's running
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Orlando Health
Orlando, Florida, United States Recruiting -
OrthoIndy
Indianapolis, Indiana, United States Recruiting -
University of Missouri- Columbia
Columbia, Missouri, United States Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: R. Glenn Gaston, MD — OrthoCarolina Research Institute, Inc.
- Study coordinator: Stacy Arnold
- Email: clinicalresearch@axogeninc.com
- Phone: (386) 462-6800
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.