title: Experimental stretch neuropathy. Changes in nerve conduction under tension.
abstract: We developed an animal model of stretch injury to nerve in order to study in vivo conduction changes as a function of nerve strain. In 24 rabbits, the tibial nerve was exposed and stretched by 0%, 6% or 12% of its length. The strain was maintained for one hour. Nerve conduction was monitored during the period of stretch and for a one-hour recovery period. At 6% strain, the amplitude of the action potential had decreased by 70% at one hour and returned to normal during the recovery period. At 12% strain, conduction was completely blocked by one hour, and showed minimal recovery. These findings have clinical implications in nerve repair, limb trauma, and limb lengthening.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, UCSD Medical Center 92103.
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Wall
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Massie
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Kwan
authors.forename: B L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Rydevik
authors.forename: R R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Myers
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Garfin
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009431:Neural Conduction / Q000502:physiology*; D011817:Rabbits; D011897:Random Allocation; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013979:Tibial Nerve / Q000503:physiopathology