Ulnar nerve repair by end-to-side neurorrhaphy on the median nerve with interposition of a vein: an experimental study.
Our study used a rat animal model to verify that Schwann cell migration, collateral axonal sprouting, and regeneration were not hindered by interposition of a 10-mm vein segment between the distal stump of the transected ulnar nerve and the donor median nerve in end-to-side reconstruction. Reconstructed nerves were withdrawn at 7, 14, 30, and 60 days after surgery, then analyzed by confocal laser microscopy after immunolabeling with anti-neurofilament-200 kD (an axonal marker) and anti-S100 (a glial marker) antibodies. Results are reported at 7, 14, 30, and 60 days after surgery. Our observations indicate that chemotactic factors that stimulate end-to-side nerve regeneration can exert their action at this distance. These findings suggest a possible clinical application for this surgical technique in cases when the severed nerve stump is far from the potential donor nerve.
Manasseri
Benedetto
B
Chirurgia Plastica, Universitá di Messina, 80 via Comunale Sperone, 98158 Messina, Italy.
Raimondo
Stefania
S
Geuna
Stefano
S
Risitano
Giovanni
G
D'Alcontres
Francesco Stagno
FS
D000818:Animals; D002630:Chemotactic Factors / Q000502:physiology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D008297:Male; D008475:Median Nerve / Q000601:surgery*; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D014459:Ulnar Nerve / Q000601:surgery*; D014680:Veins / Q000601:surgery
D002630:Chemotactic Factors