title: The utility of three-dimensional optical projection tomography in nerve injection injury imaging.
abstract: The examination of nerve microarchitecture has hitherto been limited solely to two-dimensional imaging techniques. The objective of this study was to evaluate the ability of optical projection tomography to discern the nerve microarchitecture and injection injury in three dimensions. Five piglets were studied, whose median and lingual nerves were unilaterally injected post mortem with preset volumes of local anaesthetic, excised and subsequently made transparent with benzyl alcohol benzyl benzoate. Images were captured in three dimensions. The same contralateral nerves were used as controls. Using optical projection tomography, we observed differences between the internal organisation of the median and the lingual nerves, which potentially explain the variations in their susceptibility to injury. This was demonstrated in three dimensions as a disruption to the fascicles in the lingual nerve, and their displacement in the median nerve. This new technology offers potential for studying nerve microarchitecture topography and its tolerance to injection injury.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cvetko
authors.affiliation: Institute of Physiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Čapek
authors.affiliation: Clinical Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Therapy, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Damjanovska
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Medical Sciences and Applied Molecular Medicine, CEU San Pablo University School of Medicine, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Reina
authors.affiliation: Institute of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Eržen
authors.affiliation: Clinical Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Therapy, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Stopar-Pintarič
mesh_terms: D000779:Anesthetics, Local / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000818:Animals; D005453:Fluorescence; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008036:Lingual Nerve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D061222:Lingual Nerve Injuries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology; D008475:Median Nerve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000293:injuries*; D009407:Nerve Block / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011859:Radiography; D013552:Swine; D041622:Tomography, Optical
chemical_list: D000779:Anesthetics, Local