title: Sensory and motor recovery after repairing transected cervical roots.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Adult mammal sensory axons avulsed through spinal dorsal root traction injuries, especially of the brachial plexus or cauda equina, cannot normally regenerate through axonal outgrowth from the DRG into the spinal cord, thus causing clinical conditions that require neuronal regeneration for sensory recovery and for which no successful treatment has yet been reported.
  
  
  METHODS
  To evaluate the sensory recovery of the forelimb after transection of their left cervical dorsal and ventral roots (C6-C8) at their spinal cord junctions, 22 SD rats were randomly assigned to 3 groups: transection only (control 1); transection followed by repair using intercostal nerve grafts and fibrin glue (control 2); transection, repair, and application of aFGF and fibrin glue (experimental group). The following tests were reperformed after retransecting the repaired nerve roots to discount collateral innervation from adjacent nerve roots: motor function (grasping power), mechanical sensitivity to pain and touch (foot-withdrawal response to mechanical stimuli), temperature sensitivity (foot-withdrawal response to cold stimulus), and electrophysiologic sensory responses (measurement of cortical SEP).
  
  
  RESULTS
  After transection and repair, the experimental group rats showed recovery in both motor (grasping power) and sensory (touch, pain, and temperature sensation) nerve functions. Neuronal regeneration was confirmed by the reappearance of cortical SEP and by its disappearance after retransection of the repaired cervical nerve roots.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Using our strategy for repairing transected cervical nerve roots, motor and sensory recovery was achieved in adult rats. The success of our study highlights possible treatment options for humans with avulsion injuries of the dorsal roots from the spinal cord.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Neural Regeneration Laboratory, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei 11217, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ming-Chao
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Pei-Teh
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: May-Jywan
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Huai-Sheng
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Kuo
authors.forename: Wen-Chun
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Kuo
authors.forename: Meng-Jen
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Ming-Jei
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Lo
authors.forename: I-Hui
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Wen-Cheng
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Liang-Ming
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Yang-Hsin
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Shih
authors.forename: Liang-Shong
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Henrich
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cheng
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D020516:Brachial Plexus Neuropathies / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D005073:Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D015718:Fibrin Tissue Adhesive / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016220:Fibroblast Growth Factor 1 / Q000627:therapeutic use; D020439:Growth Cones / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D018737:Hand Strength / Q000502:physiology; D007367:Intercostal Nerves / Q000637:transplantation; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000187:drug effects; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures / Q000379:methods; D017288:Pain Threshold / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D010243:Paralysis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D011843:Radiculopathy / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000187:drug effects; D019051:Rhizotomy; D020886:Somatosensory Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D013126:Spinal Nerve Roots / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000293:injuries / Q000601:surgery*; D019737:Transplants; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D015718:Fibrin Tissue Adhesive; D016220:Fibroblast Growth Factor 1