REINNERVATION OF THE ALLOGRAFT LARYNX IN THE RAT LARYNGEAL TRANSPLANTMODEL

The rat model for a vascularized laryngeal allograft is duplicated wit h significant technical modifications. We report the addition of unila teral host-to-allograft recurrent laryngeal nerve anastomosis to this model. Long-term survival experiments determine the feasibility of rei nnervation studies of the allograft larynx with this new model. A tota l of 59 transplants have been performed on histocompatible Munich Wist ar rats, 36 with attempted unilateral allograft reinnervation. Because of the initially high operative mortality rates, additions and modifi cations of the original technique resulting in reproducibly enhanced s urvival are detailed. Factors critical to the functional study of this model with regard to reinnervation are elucidated. Preliminary data o n allograft reinnervation are reported as confirmed by videodocumentat ion of vocal fold mobility, evoked and spontaneous electromyography, a nd glycogen-depletion studies.