Contribution of the Proximal Nerve Stump in End-to-side Nerve Repair: In a Rat Model.
- Author:
Jun Mo JUNG
1
;
Moon Sang CHUNG
;
Min Bom KIM
;
Goo Hyun BAEK
Author Information
- Publication Type:Original Article ; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
- Keywords: Median nerve; Proximal stump; Peripheral nerve injury; End-to-side neurorrhaphy; Nerve recovery
- MeSH: Anastomosis, Surgical/methods; Animals; Axons/pathology; Forelimb; Hand Strength; Male; Median Nerve/pathology/*surgery; Muscle Contraction; Muscle, Skeletal/physiopathology; Nerve Regeneration; Nerve Transfer/*methods; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Recovery of Function; Ulnar Nerve/pathology/*surgery
- From:Clinics in Orthopedic Surgery 2009;1(2):90-95
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
- Abstract: BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate the contribution of the proximal nerve stump, in end-to-side nerve repair, to functional recovery, by modifying the classic end-to-side neurorrhaphy and suturing the proximal nerve stump to a donor nerve in a rat model of a severed median nerve. METHODS: Three experimental groups were studied: a modified end-to-side neurorrhaphy with suturing of the proximal nerve stump (double end-to-side neurorrhaphy, Group I), a classic end-to-side neurorrhaphy (Group II) and a control group without neurorrhaphy (Group III). Twenty weeks after surgery, grasping testing, muscle contractility testing, and histological studies were performed. RESULTS: The grasping strength, muscle contraction force and nerve fiber count were significantly higher in group I than in group II, and there was no evidence of nerve recovery in group III. CONCLUSIONS: The contribution from the proximal nerve stump in double end-to-side nerve repair might improve axonal sprouting from the donor nerve and help achieve a better functional recovery in an end-to-side coaptation model.
