title: Autologous denatured muscle as a nerve graft.
abstract: This study examined the use of freeze-thawed muscle as a nerve graft material in Sprague-Dawley rats. In Group 1 (n = 4), the sciatic nerve was isolated and the incision immediately closed. In Group 2 (n = 4), a 5-mm segment of the nerve was removed and immediately replaced. In Group 3 (n = 50), a 5-mm segment of nerve was removed and muscle (2 x 2 x 5 mm, harvested from the gluteus, frozen in liquid nitrogen, and thawed in sterile water) was sutured in place. The short 5-mm segment of muscle provided an ideal situation for regeneration of myelinated nerve. Sciatic functional indices were comparable in all groups after 8 weeks and at 1 year. Histologic analysis showed comparable nerve regeneration in Groups 2 and 3 at 4 months. Group 3 grafts exhibited new axonal growth distal to the repaired gap at 4 weeks; myelinated fibers were present at 10 weeks. At 1 year, Group 3 nerves had almost the same axon count as contralateral nerves. However, myelin-sheath regeneration in the 5-mm muscle graft was incomplete, at 81 percent of normal, at 1 year.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Wake Forest University Medical Center, Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: DeFranzo
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Morykwas
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: LaRosse
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Jennings
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Challa
authors.forename: L C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Argenta
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology; D008124:Locomotion / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008866:Microsurgery / Q000379:methods*; D009132:Muscles / Q000637:transplantation*; D009186:Myelin Sheath / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000502:physiology*; D016067:Nerve Transfer / Q000379:methods*; D059348:Peripheral Nerve Injuries; D010525:Peripheral Nerves / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D011489:Protein Denaturation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000293:injuries / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery