Median nerve neurotization by peripheral nerve grafts directly implanted into the spinal cord: anatomical, behavioural and electrophysiological evidences of sensorimotor recovery.
Over the years, peripheral nerve grafts, a favorable environment to support axonal elongation, have given rise to increasing interest as a possible solution for promoting spinal cord repair. In the experiments described here, following an avulsion injury of the rat brachial plexus, the median nerve was repaired by a peripheral nerve graft (PN) inserted directly into the dorsal side of the spinal cord. Eight months later the animals were submitted to behavioral tests, electrophysiological and histological studies. Regrowth of axons from both motoneurons and ganglionic neurons was demonstrated following a single superficial dorsal implantation of a PN. Sensorimotor peripheral reinnervation allowed most of the studied animals to recover enough flexor activity for grasping. Reinnervation was achieved even without prior root avulsion suggesting that the presence of a PN is sufficient to induce sprouting in the spinal cord from axotomized and non-axotomized neurons.
Laboratoire de Neurobiologie URA CNRS 1448, Groupe Regeneration des Nerfs Periphériques et des Muscles Squelettiques, Paris, France.
J A
JA
Bertelli
D
D
Orsal
J C
JC
Mira
D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D002350:Carpus, Animal; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000502:physiology; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D004594:Electrophysiology; D005073:Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory; D005260:Female; D008475:Median Nerve / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D009132:Muscles / Q000473:pathology; D010525:Peripheral Nerves / Q000637:transplantation*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012016:Reference Values; D012677:Sensation / Q000502:physiology*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000502:physiology*