title: The use of the rat facial nerve model to assess the effect of differing nerve anastomotic agents on the facial nerve.
abstract: There are relatively few papers which prove that one nerve anastomotic agent for the facial nerve is superior to any other. Previous experiments on the division and anastomosis of the facial nerve have failed to consider the indeterminate variables involved, i.e. operator variability, controls and the reaction of the materials on normal nerve tissue. In this experiment, a variety of anastomotic agents were tested to see if the anastomotic agents themselves affected the extra-temporal facial nerve function. The absorbable suture, non-absorbable suture, glue and tube wrap used had no effect on normal nerve tissue or on the anastomosis of the sectioned facial nerve of the rat compared with simple laying together of the divided ends of the divided nerve.
authors.affiliation: Otolaryngology Unit, Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh, UK.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Murray
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Willins
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Mountain
mesh_terms: D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical; D000818:Animals; D005154:Facial Nerve / Q000601:surgery*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley