Peripheral nerve reconnection: immediate histologic consequences of distributed mechanical support.
We tested the possibility of improving the quality of axonal repair after peripheral nerve transection by suppression of all mechanical stresses from the zone of repair. A method was developed involving mechanical support of the sciatic nerve from below in a grooved chamber with additional support provided by suturing the nerve to a rubber sleeve. Histological studies of silver-impregnated specimens from rabbit sciatic nerve using this technique revealed that the axons' tips were closely reconnected with minimal disruption in their direction or in the alignment of fibers and without extraneous material between the severed stumps. Comparison of these results with those of current microsurgical techniques showed the unequivocal superiority of this method in terms of immediate histologic aspects. The course of Wallerian degeneration was not modified.
D000818:Animals; D003080:Cold Temperature; D008866:Microsurgery / Q000379:methods*; D009416:Nerve Regeneration; D011817:Rabbits; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology* / Q000601:surgery; D013314:Stress, Mechanical