An experimental model of ventral root repair showing the beneficial effect of transplanting olfactory ensheathing cells.
OBJECTIVE
A series of published cases show that repair of brachial plexus injuries by reimplantation of avulsed spinal roots can restore a degree of recovery, particularly to the more proximal shoulder and arm musculature in a proportion of patients. There remains, however, some disagreement regarding how far the benefits outweigh the risks of causing further spinal cord damage. Improving the number of motor fibers regenerating into the reimplanted ventral roots may enhance the muscular recovery, possibly extending it to the more useful distal musculature that would restore a degree of wrist and finger functions.


METHODS
This study was based on our previous rat model showing regeneration of severed fibers and resumption of function after transplantation of cultured adult olfactory ensheathing cells into spinal cord injuries and reimplanted dorsal roots.


RESULTS
We now report that olfactory ensheathing cells transplanted at the spinal cord interface of reimplanted S1 ventral roots survive and migrate selectively into the ventral root where they associate intimately with regenerating ventral root fibers. Whereas only approximately 20% of the normal complement of fibers enter roots reimplanted without olfactory ensheathing cells, this increases to 80% in the presence of olfactory ensheathing cell transplants.


CONCLUSIONS
These observations suggest that transplants of olfactory ensheathing cells could improve the outcome of ventral root repair.
Li
Ying
Y
Institute of Neurology, University College London, and National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London, England.
Yamamoto
Mie
M
Raisman
Geoffrey
G
Choi
David
D
Carlstedt
Thomas
T
D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000502:physiology*; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000637:transplantation*; D009832:Olfactory Nerve / Q000637:transplantation*; D051381:Rats; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D013126:Spinal Nerve Roots / Q000293:injuries* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome