title: Comparison of repair of peripheral nerve transection in predegenerated muscle with and without a vein graft.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Despite substantial research into the topic and valiant surgical efforts, reconstruction of peripheral nerve injury remains a challenging surgery. This study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of axonal regeneration of a transected sciatic nerve through a vein conduit containing degenerated skeletal muscle compared with axonal regeneration in a transected sciatic nerve through degenerated skeletal muscle alone.
  
  
  METHODS
  In two of the three experimental rat groups, 10 mm of the left sciatic nerve was transected and removed. The proximal and distal ends of the transected sciatic nerve were then approximated and surrounded with either (a) a degenerated skeletal muscle graft; or (b) a graft containing both degenerated skeletal muscle and vein. In the group receiving the combined vein and skeletal muscle graft, the vein walls were subsequently sutured to the proximal and distal nerve stump epineurium. Sciatic functional index (SFI) was used for assessment of functional recovery. Tracing study and histological procedures were used to assess axonal regeneration.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At 60 days, the gait functional recovery as well as the mean number of myelinated axons in the middle and distal parts of the sciatic nerve significantly increased in the group with the vein graft compared to rats with only the muscular graft (P < 0.05). Mean diameter of myelinated nerve fiber of the distal sciatic nerve was also improved with the vein graft compared to the muscle graft alone (P < 0.05). The mean number of DiI-labeled motor neurons in the L4-L5 spinal segment increased in the vein with muscle group but was not significantly different between the two groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings demonstrated that a graft consisting of not only predegenerated muscle, but also predegenerated muscle with vein more effectively supported nerve regeneration, thus promoting functional recovery after sciatic nerve injury in rats.
authors.affiliation: Medicinal Plants Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine, Yasuj University of Medical Sciences, Yasuj, Iran.
authors.forename: Jamshid
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mohammadi
authors.affiliation: Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Yasuj University of Medical Sciences, P.o.Box: 7591994799, Yasuj, Iran. Delavizhamdi83@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Hamdollah
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Delaviz
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Yasuj University of Medical Sciences, Yasuj, Iran.
authors.forename: Bahram
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mohammadi
authors.affiliation: The University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Toledo, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Hamoun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Delaviz
authors.affiliation: Department of Midwifery, Yasuj University of Medical, Yasuj, Iran.
authors.forename: Parastou
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rad
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000637:transplantation*; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000502:physiology*; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000502:physiology*; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000293:injuries / Q000601:surgery*; D014680:Veins / Q000637:transplantation*
keywords: Conduit; Muscle; Nerve; Predegenerated; Repair; Vein