title: New treatment for peripheral nerve defects: reconstruction of a 2 cm, monkey median nerve gap by direct lengthening of both nerve stumps.
abstract: We have developed a new treatment for peripheral nerve defects: nerve-lengthening method, and confirmed the efficacy and safety of our method using cynomolgus monkeys. A 20-mm defect in the median nerve of monkey's forearms was repaired through the simultaneous lengthening of both nerve stumps with original nerve-lengthening device. To evaluate nerve regeneration after neurorrhaphy, electrophysiological, histological, and functional recovery were examined and compared to the standard autografting. Nerve conduction velocity, axon maturation, and the result of functional test were superior in the nerve-lengthening method than in the autografting. And there were no adverse events associated with our method. We concluded that this method is practical for clinical application.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan. yukihara@md.tsukuba.ac.jp
authors.forename: Yuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hara
authors.forename: Yasumasa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nishiura
authors.forename: Naoyuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ochiai
authors.lastname: Sharula
authors.forename: Yoshiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakajima
authors.forename: Shigeki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kubota
authors.lastname: Saijilafu
authors.forename: Hajime
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mishima
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004576:Electromyography; D018737:Hand Strength / Q000502:physiology; D008252:Macaca fascicularis; D008475:Median Nerve / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology / Q000601:surgery*; D020423:Median Neuropathy / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D055164:Nerve Expansion / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000502:physiology*; D009431:Neural Conduction / Q000502:physiology; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000502:physiology