title: Acellular nerve allografts in peripheral nerve regeneration: a comparative study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Processed nerve allografts offer a promising alternative to nerve autografts in the surgical management of peripheral nerve injuries where short deficits exist.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three established models of acellular nerve allograft (cold-preserved, detergent-processed, and AxoGen-processed nerve allografts) were compared with nerve isografts and silicone nerve guidance conduits in a 14-mm rat sciatic nerve defect.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All acellular nerve grafts were superior to silicone nerve conduits in support of nerve regeneration. Detergent-processed allografts were similar to isografts at 6 weeks postoperatively, whereas AxoGen-processed and cold-preserved allografts supported significantly fewer regenerating nerve fibers. Measurement of muscle force confirmed that detergent-processed allografts promoted isograft-equivalent levels of motor recovery 16 weeks postoperatively. All acellular allografts promoted greater amounts of motor recovery compared with silicone conduits.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings provide evidence that differential processing for removal of cellular constituents in preparing acellular nerve allografts affects recovery in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, Campus Box 8238, 660 South Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA.
authors.forename: Amy M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: MacEwan
authors.forename: Katherine B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Santosa
authors.forename: Kristofer E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Chenard
authors.forename: Wilson Z
authors.initials: WZ
authors.lastname: Ray
authors.forename: Daniel A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Hunter
authors.forename: Susan E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Mackinnon
authors.forename: Philip J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Johnson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D008297:Male; D053580:Muscle Strength / Q000502:physiology; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000502:physiology*; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000293:injuries / Q000502:physiology* / Q000637:transplantation*; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous; D016896:Treatment Outcome