REFRIGERATED MUSCLE USED TO BRIDGE NERVE DEFECTS

Bridging of nerve defects with muscle tissue is usually done with deep frozen grafts. The method has the disadvantage of considerable shrink age and stiffening of the graft, as well as devitalization of the stru ctures accompanying muscle fibers. As an alternative method an experim ent on rats was done to test the use of refrigerated grafts, which do not have those disadvantages. The morphological evidence was that refr igerated grafts give as least as good results as deep frozen grafts.