title: Bridging peripheral nerve defects using a single-fascicle nerve graft.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The criterion standard of nerve reconstruction is an autologous nerve graft, identical in cross-section to the severed nerve stumps. This study investigates single-fascicle nerve transplantation to bridge nerve defects.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty female Sprague-Dawley rats, each weighing approximately 225 g, were randomized into five groups. Groups A and B were the positive and negative control groups, respectively. In the experimental groups (groups C, D, and E), a nerve defect of 25 mm was created in the right sciatic nerve and reconstructed with a reversed sciatic nerve graft, a three-fascicle sural nerve graft, or a single-fascicle sural nerve graft, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Functional muscle evaluation of the triceps surae differed significantly among the reverse nerve (group C, n=10; 600±154.16 mN), triple-fascicle (group D, n=10; 411±262 mN), and single-fascicle (group E, n=10; 324±215.8 mN) graft groups (p<0.05). The results of retrograde labeling of the reverse nerve group (group C, 518±2) showed that there were twice as many motor neurons as in the three-fascicle nerve group (group D, 221±19). In the single-fascicle nerve group, motor neurons were scarce and faintly labeled (group E, 180±25).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results showed that single-fascicle nerve grafting has potential for good functional nerve regeneration.
authors.affiliation: Vienna, Austria From the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Medical University of Vienna.
authors.forename: Chieh-Han John
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Tzou
authors.forename: Oskar C
authors.initials: OC
authors.lastname: Aszmann
authors.forename: Manfred
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Frey
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D006084:Graft Rejection; D006085:Graft Survival; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000502:physiology*; D010525:Peripheral Nerves / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012016:Reference Values; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D013497:Sural Nerve / Q000637:transplantation; D016378:Tissue Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous