Functional results of peripheral nerve repair have been hampered by mi
sdirection of regenerating axons. The purpose of this study was to det
ermine in a rat femoral nerve model whether regenerating motor and sen
sory axons from a proximal nerve stump select the appropriate distal m
otor or sensory branch. In two experiments, the proximal stump of the
motor or sensory branches was sutured to the distal motor and sensory
stumps, so that the three branches were parallel and the three transec
ted ends faced in the same direction. More regenerated axons from both
the proximal motor and sensory stumps entered the distal sensory stum
p. The number of misdirected axons did not decrease over time. The sel
ective regeneration of motor axons toward the distal motor stump could
not be validated. In this study, neurotropism appeared to play a meas
urable role in sensory axon regeneration, but not in motor axon regene
ration. Pruning of the misdirected axons was not demonstrated.