System for providing fluid flow to nerve tissues

An apparatus for providing reduced pressure to a defect at a tissue site of a nerve, the apparatus comprising:

• a nerve conduit having a luminal wall for surrounding the tissue site and forming a luminal space between the tissue site and the luminal wall;
• a manifold having a connector for receiving reduced pressure to distribute the reduced pressure to the defect;
• and
• a scaffold having a generally tubular frustum shape extending between a base opening at one end and a vertex opening at the other end, the scaffold being positioned within the luminal space with the vertex opening oriented closer to the manifold.

An apparatus for providing reduced pressure to a defect at a tissue site of a nerve, the apparatus comprising:

• a nerve conduit having a generally tubular shape and having a luminal wall for surrounding the tissue site to contain fluids within a luminal space between the tissue site and the luminal wall;
• a manifold having a connector for receiving reduced pressure to distribute the reduced pressure to the defect;
• and
• a scaffold comprising at least one scaffold guide having a generally frusto-tubular shape with a base opening at one end and a vertex opening at the other end wherein the at least one scaffold guide is positioned within the luminal space in fluid communication with the manifold and oriented therein with the vertex opening positioned closer to the manifold than the base opening;
• whereby the at least one scaffold guide facilitates tissue growth at the tissue site by organizing matrix deposition, promoting cell binding, or guiding the migration of cells through the luminal space.