title: A gastrocnemius heterotopical transplant model with end-to-side neurorraphy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To present an animal model to assess the effects of end-to-side innervation in the heterotopically transplanted model with reduced chances of neural contamination.
  
  
  METHODS
  The medial portion of the gastrocnemius muscle in wistar male rats was isolated and its pedicle dissected and performed a flap in the abdominal portion. To prevent neural contamination in the abdominal region, the muscle was wrapped with a Goretex(r) sheet. The specimens were divided into 2 groups (G). In G1 was performed an end-to-end suture between tibial nerve of the gastrocnemius and femoral motor nerve and between the saphenous sensory nerve and the motor nerve. In G2 was performed a end-to-side suture between the tibial nerve and the motor femoral and between the tibial nerve and saphenous motor nerve. The specimens were evaluated 60 days later to check the structure of the neurorraphy. Sections were obtained proximal and distal to the coaptation site.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The medial gastrocnemius muscle had the advantage of maintaining visible mass after 60 days. No disruption of the coaptation site was found. No major injury to the donor nerve was seen in group 2.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The proposed model is simple, reproduciple and prevent the neural contamination in the flap in end-to-side suture.
authors.affiliation: Paulista School of Medicine, Federal University of São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marcos Ricardo de Oliveira
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Jaeger
authors.affiliation: Hospital São Lucas, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
authors.forename: Jefferson Luis Braga
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: McMaster University, Canada.
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bain
authors.affiliation: Federal University of Health Science, Brazil.
authors.forename: Pedro Bins
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Ely
authors.affiliation: Departament of Surgery, Federal University of Pelotas, Brazil.
authors.forename: Jefferson André
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Pires
authors.affiliation: UNIFESP, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Lydia Masako
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Ferreira
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005267:Femoral Nerve / Q000637:transplantation; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008866:Microsurgery / Q000379:methods; D023421:Models, Animal; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000294:innervation* / Q000637:transplantation*; D016067:Nerve Transfer / Q000379:methods*; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000379:methods; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D013536:Suture Techniques; D013979:Tibial Nerve / Q000637:transplantation; D013997:Time Factors; D016042:Transplantation, Heterotopic / Q000379:methods*