THE USE OF THE RAT FACIAL-NERVE MODEL TO ASSESS THE EFFECT OF DIFFERING NERVE ANASTOMOTIC AGENTS ON THE FACIAL-NERVE

There are relatively few papers which prove that one nerve anastomotic agent for the facial nerve is superior to any other. Previous experim ents on the division and anastomosis of the facial nerve have failed t o consider the indeterminate variables involved, i.e. operator variabi lity, controls and the reaction of the materials on normal nerve tissu e. In this experiment, a variety of anastomotic agents were tested to see if the anastomotic agents themselves affected the extra-temporal f acial nerve function. The absorbable suture, non-absorbable suture, gl ue and tube wrap used had no effect on normal nerve tissue or on the a nastomosis of the sectioned facial nerve of the rat compared with simp le laying together of the divided ends of the divided nerve.