TENDON/TENDON SHEATH REGENERATION/RESTORATION MATERIAL, AND USE OF SAME

摘要

The present invention addresses the problem of providing, as a novel regeneration material, a dry amniotic membrane that promotes regeneration of tendons/tendon sheaths when a tendon injury has occurred and that reduces loss of motor function of fingers or toes due to tendon adhesion. As a solution, a dry amniotic membrane is manufactured by designated drying processing, specifically: a depressurization operation, in which a fresh amniotic membrane placed in a processing tank is continuously heated by an infrared heater disposed inside the processing tank, and the interior of the processing tank is brought into a depressurized state; and a re-pressurization operation, in which the interior of the depressurized processing tank is raised slightly toward atmospheric pressure, and during which drying is performed while energy is imparted to water molecules present in the amniotic membrane by irradiating this fresh amniotic membrane with microwaves from a microwave generation device disposed inside the processing tank. Due to these operations being repeated a plurality of times, the amniotic membrane, dried with the cell and tissue structure retained, promotes regeneration of the motor function of fingers or toes after tendon suturing surgery and is useful as a regeneration material.