The IBB forelimb scale as a tool to assess functional recovery after peripheral nerve injury in mice.
BACKGROUND
This study was conducted to test whether the IBB Forelimb Scale (Irvine et al., 2010) which was originally developed for rats with spinal cord injury, is also capable of measuring the functional performance of Swiss mice with lesions of the median and ulnar nerves inflicted via crushing with standardized strength.


METHODS
This test was performed at days 1, 3, 7, 10, 14 and 21 after surgery and each animal gives a score of 9, where 0 represented the worst functionality and 9 represented the habitual behavior.


RESULTS
The control animals usually exhibited movements in the task that were scored as 9 during the experimental period. The lesion group began with a score of 2 on the 1st and 3rd post-operative days. On the 7th and 10th postoperative days, respectively, they scored 7, and on the 14th post-operative day, they achieved a score of 8. Only on the 21st post-operative day, did they exhibit habitual skillful behaviors.


CONCLUSIONS
IBB Forelimb Scale is effective for determining how the animals perform the movements in detail, which is not readily revealed by other methods. Furthermore, this test show similar recovery periods with grasping test, staircase test and seems to be more sensitive than paw print analysis for this type of lesion.


CONCLUSIONS
Our data demonstrate that IBB scale was capable of measuring gradual improvements in motor forelimb functions in this model and may be a new and effective assessment tool for peripheral nerve injury.
Programa de Pós-Graduação em Fisioterapia, Centro do Ciências da Saúde e do Esporte, UDESC, Rua Pascoal Simone 358, Coqueiros, Florianópolis, SC 88080-350, Brazil.
Ana Elisa
AE
Speck
Programa de Pós-Graduação em Fisioterapia, Centro do Ciências da Saúde e do Esporte, UDESC, Rua Pascoal Simone 358, Coqueiros, Florianópolis, SC 88080-350, Brazil.
Jocemar
J
Ilha
Programa de Pós-Graduação em Fisioterapia, Centro do Ciências da Saúde e do Esporte, UDESC, Rua Pascoal Simone 358, Coqueiros, Florianópolis, SC 88080-350, Brazil.
Caroline Cunha
CC
do Espírito Santo
Departamento de Bioquímica, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, UFSC, Córrego Grande, Florianópolis, SC 88049-900, Brazil.
Aderbal Silva
AS
Aguiar
Laboratório de Neurobiologia da Dor e Inflamação, Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, UFSC, Trindade, Florianópolis, SC 88040-900, Brazil.
Adair Roberto Soares
ARS
Dos Santos
Programa de Pós-Graduação em Fisioterapia, Centro do Ciências da Saúde e do Esporte, UDESC, Rua Pascoal Simone 358, Coqueiros, Florianópolis, SC 88080-350, Brazil. Electronic address: alessandra.martin@udesc.br.
Alessandra
A
Swarowsky
D000818:Animals; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005552:Forelimb / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008475:Median Nerve / Q000293:injuries*; D051379:Mice; D009048:Motor Skills / Q000502:physiology; D059348:Peripheral Nerve Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011897:Random Allocation; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D014459:Ulnar Nerve / Q000293:injuries*
Assessment tools; Forelimb function; Function al analysis; Peripheral lesion