title: Experimental study of the functional reserve of median nerve in rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the functional changes of median nerve after removing a certain bundle of it and to explore the functional reserve of median nerves.
  
  
  METHODS
  220 three-month old SD rats were randomly divided into experimental groups and sham groups. And the experimental group was further divided as 1/8 group, 1/4 group, 1/3 group, 1/2 group, and 2/3 group according to ratio of the resection portion, with 22 rats in each group. The section of the lowest level on median nerve trunks were exposed, and a certain portion of it were separated and resected in experimental group, while in sham groups, the nerve was only separated without resection. The general state of health of all rats were observed, and the α motor neurons in cornu anterior medullae spinalis were studied 1 week, 2 weeks and 2 months postoperatively. Neuro-electrophysiology and function of dominated muscles were studied 2 weeks, 2 months, 3 months, and 4 months postoperatively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All rats survived without infection and obvious ulcer. The number of the α motor neurons in cornuanterior medullae spinalis didn't change (P>0.05), and obvious superstructure changes were observed in early stage in 1/2 and 2/3 group, but restored after 2 months. There was no significant changes in latencies of motor neuron evoked potentials between experimental groups and sham group (P>0.05), however, there is significant difference if the 2 week group was compared with 2 month, 3 month and 4 month group (P<0.05). Moreover, there is also significant difference in terms of the wave amplitude of evoked potential of motor neurons, the maximum wave amplitude and the persistence time of its innervated muscle if the 2 week group was compared with those in 2 month, 3 month and 4 month group (P<0.05), and there is significant difference between different proportion resection groups (P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Median nerve has a certain amount of functional reserve, and the quantity of the functional reserve of median nerve without compromise is the 1/3 of the whole trunk.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hand Surgery, The First Hospital of Jilin University China.
authors.forename: Jianli
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.affiliation: Department of Hand Surgery, The First Hospital of Jilin University China.
authors.forename: Xu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.affiliation: Department of Hand Surgery, The First Hospital of Jilin University China.
authors.forename: Ziping
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Department of Hand Surgery, The First Hospital of Jilin University China.
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Department of Hand Surgery, The First Hospital of Jilin University China.
authors.forename: Yuejiao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Hand Surgery, The First Hospital of Jilin University China.
authors.forename: Laijin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lu
keywords: Peripheral nerve injury; nerve functional reserve; nerve tracing; nerve transposition