title: Long interpositional nerve graft consistently induces incomplete motor and sensory recovery in the rat. An experimental model to test nerve repair.
abstract: Motor and sensory regeneration was studied in a 40 mm long graft interposed between the sectioned stumps of the rat median nerve. Animals were behaviorally assessed from 1 to 720 days after surgery by the grasping and modified Randall-Sellito tests. Rats recovered grasping function 43.7 (S.D. +/- 2.6) days after surgery. Grasping strength attained 50 and 65% of the normal control group, 280 and 360 days after surgery, respectively. From 90 to 360 days after surgery, sensory nociceptive recovery was only 30% of the normal control group. The results indicate that motor and sensory neurons were capable of regenerating additional axonal length, but functional return was clearly better in the motor system. This model of deficient reinnervation might prove to be of interest in testing of new strategies for the enhancement of nerve recovery.
authors.affiliation: Center of Biological and Health Sciences, University of the South of Santa Catarina (Unisul), Av. José Acácio Moreira, 787, Bairro Dehon, Cx Postal 370, Tubarão 88704-900, SC, Brazil. bertelli@matrix.com.br
authors.forename: Jayme Augusto
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Bertelli
authors.forename: Adair Roberto Soares
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: dos Santos
authors.forename: Madjid
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Taleb
authors.forename: João Batista
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Calixto
authors.forename: Jean Claude
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Mira
authors.forename: Marcos Flávio
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Ghizoni
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D018737:Hand Strength / Q000502:physiology; D008475:Median Nerve / Q000293:injuries / Q000637:transplantation*; D009048:Motor Skills / Q000502:physiology*; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012684:Sensory Thresholds / Q000502:physiology*; D019737:Transplants