BACKGROUND: Graphene oxide (GO) has good conductivity, adsorption, biocompatibility and stability of aqueous solution, and its functional groups are beneficial to its chemical functionalization.OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of acellular nerve allograft modified by GO in the repair of sciatic nerve injury in rats.METHODS: Firstly, the biocompatibility of GO was detected in 10 Sprague-Dawley rats, and then the GO/acellular sciatic nerve graft complex (GO20) was prepared in another 15 Sprague-Dawley rats. Forty Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into sham operation group, GO20 group, acellular nerve allograft group (empty frame group) and autologous transplantation group (rotation group), with 10 rats in each group, and were subjected to corresponding transplantation or rotation experiment. The biological and functional experimental system was used to detect sciatic nerve action potentials.The wet mass ratio of the gastrocnemius (the operated side/the contralateral side) was measured by analytical balance.The morphology of the sciatic nerve scaffold was observed by transmission electron microscopy.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: During the 10 weeks of observation, the rats in each group had no abnormal food/water intake and no abnormal performance in the presence of normal motor activity, and there was also no significant difference in the body mass. Liver function results indicated that GO had good biocompatibility. The nerve action potential peak value, ratio of maximum tension on the operated side/the contralateral side, gastrocnemius wet mass ratio,myelin sheath thickness, and axon diameter in the GO20 group were significantly higher than those in the empty frame group and rotation group (P < 0.05). To conclude, GO can modify the acellular nerve allograft to repair sciatic nerve injury by promoting regeneration of the injured nerves.