Muscle flap mass preservation by sensory reinnervation with end-to-side neurorrhaphy: an experimental study in rats.
The purpose of this study was to determine whether sensory reinnervation with end-to-side neurorrhaphy preserves muscle mass in pedicled muscle flaps. A new muscle flap model innervated by the common peroneal nerve (CPN) was tested in rats. Animals were divided into group 1 (CPN transected without repair), group 2 (CPN transected and immediately repaired by end-to-end neurorrhaphy), and groups 3A and 3B (CPN transected and repaired with the sural nerve, by end-to-end and end-to-side neurorrhaphy, respectively). We evaluated the muscle-preserving effect by measuring muscle weight and performed histological and morphometric analyses 3 months after the procedure. Sensory reinnervation significantly preserved the muscle mass, although less than motor reinnervation. There was no significant difference between the end-to-end and end-to-side procedures. Results of morphometric analysis in each group paralleled those of mean muscle weight. Sensory reinnervation with end-to-side neurorrhaphy appears to be useful in the preservation of muscle flap mass.
Yoshitatsu
Sumiko
S
Department of Plastic Surgery, Osaka National Hospital, Osaka, Japan. syoshi@onh.go.jp
Matsuda
Ken
K
Yano
Kenji
K
Hosokawa
Ko
K
Tomita
Koichi
K
D000818:Animals; D006614:Hindlimb; D008297:Male; D009121:Muscle Denervation; D018485:Muscle Fibers, Skeletal / Q000473:pathology; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000294:innervation / Q000473:pathology*; D009929:Organ Size; D010543:Peroneal Nerve / Q000601:surgery*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013524:Surgical Flaps / Q000294:innervation* / Q000473:pathology*