title: The cavitron ultrasonic surgical aspirator system. An anatomical and physiological study of the effect of its use on the rat facial nerve.
abstract: The Cavitron Ultrasonic Surgical Aspirator System was used to clear the facial nerve from adjacent tissues in the rat. Acute damage to the nerve was manifest electrophysiologically by a significant decrease in amplitude of the conducted nerve action potential (P less than 0.0001) and increase in latency of the muscle action potential (P less than 0.01). Impairment of neural activity was temporary. In the majority of rats facial movements and neural activity returned to their preoperative state within 14 days. The nerves were prepared for light and transmission electron microscopy. The histopathological correlate of the documented functional impairment was disruption of the perineurium and a variable degeneration of the nerve fibres. Regeneration was evident by the end of the second postoperative week, but degenerative changes seen in some of these new fibres cast doubt on their viability.
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials; D000818:Animals; D004210:Dissection / Q000379:methods; D004594:Electrophysiology; D005152:Facial Muscles / Q000294:innervation / Q000502:physiology; D005154:Facial Nerve / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009186:Myelin Sheath / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009416:Nerve Regeneration; D009431:Neural Conduction; D009493:Neurosurgery / Q000295:instrumentation*; D051381:Rats; D014465:Ultrasonics / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation*; D014617:Vacuoles / Q000648:ultrastructure