Peripheral Nerve Regeneration After Various Conditioned Side to Side Neurorrhaphy in Rats

말초신경 손상 후 측측문합을 이용한 신경이식시 신경이식의 수에 따른 신경재생 및 근육 기능 회복에 관한 비교 연구

Recovery of nerve injury is conditioned by various factors including physical state, injured site, cause of injury, and neurorrhaphy Many researchers have reported on regeneration of nerve using end to side neurorrhaphy. The purpose of this study was to examine regeneration of nerve in various conditioned side to side neurorrhaphy. Total of 25 male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 220 to 250 gm were divided into five groups of five rats each. The group 1, sham group, composed of dissection only without nerve transaction. The group 2, control group, composed of nerve division only without neurorrhaphy or sural nerve graft. The group 3 composed of one segmental sural nerve graft between the tibial and peroneal nerve after division. Group 4 had two segment graft, and the group 5 with three segment graft, each segment being 6mm long and 5 mm apart. The side to side neurorrhaphy was performed between peroneal nerve and tibial nerve using segmental sural nerve graft in rats. We exposed the sciatic nerve, tibial nerve, peroneal nerve, and sural nerve on left side with prone position. The peroneal nerve was cut on the bifurcation site from tibial nerve and the side to side epineurial neurorrhaphy was performed between peroneal nerve and tibial nerve through 6 mm sural nerve segment graft with 11-0 nylon under operating microscope. The electromyography and the weight from ipsilateral tibialis anterior muscle was performed at one month after neurorrhaphy Peroneal and tibial nerve was examined at distal and proximal to the neurorrhaphy site by methylene blue stain under light microscope for histologic appearance. The number of nerve fibers were counted using the image analyzer. Statistically, both in electromyography and number of nerve fibers, the differences in values between the groups were significant.