EFFECTIVENESS OF EPINEURAL BARRIERS AS A FLAP AND FREE GRAFT IN REDUCING NEUROMA FORMATION IN THE RAT FOLLOWING SCIATIC-NERVE SEVERANCE

Neuroma formation at the proximal stump following nerve severance is a common problem in peripheral nerve surgery. To prevent its formation, it is suggested that an epineural barrier is an effective and physiol ogic method when compared to other techniques. In this study, the righ t sciatic nerves of 30 rats were severed and their proximal stumps wer e covered by epineural flaps and free epineural grafts. All rats were explored three months later and morphologic and histopathologic evalua tion of the proximal stump was made to estimate the amount of neuroma formation. It was concluded that free epineural grafting technique was the most effective method of preventing the process.