REGENERATION ACROSS A PARTIAL DEFECT IN RAT SCIATIC-NERVE ENCASED IN A SILICONE CHAMBER

Forty-four rat sciatic nerves with partial defects were repaired with a silicone chamber. Each partial defect was created by resecting a 10 mm segment from the tibial fascicle leaving the peroneal fascicle inta ct. The proximal and the distal stumps of the tibial fascicle together with the intact peroneal fascicle were encased in a single silicone c hamber. After seven days a fibrin matrix had surrounded the peroneal f ascicle and spanned the defect between the tibial stumps. This matrix was later invaded by non-neuronal cells and regenerating axons. Non-my elinated nerve fibres had almost regenerated across the defect by 16 d ays. The tetanic force of the gastrocnemius muscle 120 days after repa ir showed 80% recovery, which was no different from that of partial de fects repaired with conventional nerve grafts. The results suggest tha t the silicone chamber technique could be applicable to the treatment of partially transected nerve trunks.