title: Repair of peripheral nerve defects by controlled distraction: a preliminary study.
abstract: Five cats underwent a 3.0-cm removal of their ulnar nerves followed by delayed repair. One limb received a standard cable grafting procedure, and the other side had the proximal nerve stump lengthened by controlled distraction and a subsequent direct anastomosis. Histological examination of the lengthened nerves revealed better quality than the grafted nerves in all cats. Nerve conduction velocity of the lengthened side was greater than the graft side in three cats. It appears that this technique of nerve lengthening and direct repair might have clinical applicability.
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioengineering, Hospital for Joint Diseases, New York City.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Orbay
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Kummer
mesh_terms: D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D000818:Animals; D002415:Cats; D008297:Male; D016067:Nerve Transfer / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D009431:Neural Conduction; D010865:Pilot Projects; D014143:Traction / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D014459:Ulnar Nerve / Q000293:injuries*; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*