title: Functional characterization of optimized acellular peripheral nerve graft in a rat sciatic nerve injury model.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Acellular grafts are a viable option for use in nerve reconstruction surgeries. Recently, our lab created a novel optimized decellularization procedure that removes immunological material while leaving the majority of the extracellular matrix structure intact. The optimized acellular (OA) graft has been shown to elicit an immune response equal to or less than that elicited by the isograft, the analog of the autograft in the rat model. We investigated the performance of the OA graft to provide functional recovery in a long-term study.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a long-term functional regeneration evaluation study using the sciatic functional index to quantify recovery of Lewis rats at regular time intervals for up to 52 weeks after graft implantation following 1 cm sciatic nerve resection. OA grafts were compared against other decellularized methods (Sondell treatment and thermal decellularization), as well as the isograft and primary neurorrhaphy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The OA graft supported comparable functional recovery to the isograft and superior regeneration to thermal and Sondell decellularization methods. Furthermore, the OA graft promoted early recovery to a greater degree compared to acellular grafts obtained using either the thermal or the Sondell methods.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Equivalent functional recovery to the isograft suggests that the OA nerve graft may be a future clinical alternative to the current autologous tissue graft.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
authors.forename: Ryan J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Nagao
authors.forename: Scott
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lundy
authors.forename: Zin Z
authors.initials: ZZ
authors.lastname: Khaing
authors.forename: Christine E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Schmidt
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000502:physiology*; D010525:Peripheral Nerves / Q000502:physiology / Q000637:transplantation; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000502:physiology; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000502:physiology* / Q000637:transplantation*; D020426:Sciatic Neuropathy / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D014185:Transplantation, Isogeneic / Q000379:methods