title: Vascularized versus nonvascularized island median nerve grafts in the facial nerve regeneration and functional recovery of rats for facial nerve reconstruction study.
abstract: Histological and physiological basis of the therapeutic efficacy of the vascularized autologous nerve graft in facial nerve regeneration remains poorly understood because of no established rat model. The left median nerve and median artery/vein of Lewis rats were collectively ligated, and harvested as a vascularized island median nerve, which was transplanted to a 7-mm gap in the left buccal branch of facial nerve. Nerve regeneration was investigated. The numbers of myelinated fibers, axon diameter, and myelin thickness were significantly higher in the vascularized nerve graft group than in the nonvascularized nerve graft group. Compound muscle action potential measurement showed that the parameters of vascularized group were similar to those in the intact control group. A vascularized median nerve graft resulted in better facial nerve regeneration outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Tokyo Women's Medical University, School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Hajime
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Matsumine
authors.affiliation: Institute of Advanced Biomedical Engineering and Science, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Ryo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sasaki
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Tokyo Women's Medical University, School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takeuchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Tokyo Women's Medical University, School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Mariko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Miyata
authors.affiliation: Institute of Advanced Biomedical Engineering and Science, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamato
authors.affiliation: Institute of Advanced Biomedical Engineering and Science, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Teruo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okano
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Tokyo Women's Medical University, School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sakurai
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005154:Facial Nerve / Q000473:pathology; D020220:Facial Nerve Injuries / Q000473:pathology*; D005205:Fascia / Q000098:blood supply; D008475:Median Nerve / Q000473:pathology; D023421:Models, Animal; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology*; D009413:Nerve Fibers, Myelinated / Q000473:pathology*; D009416:Nerve Regeneration; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D020127:Recovery of Function; D013524:Surgical Flaps / Q000098:blood supply*