NERVE REGENERATION OVER A 25 MM GAP IN RAT SCIATIC-NERVES USING TUBESCONTAINING BLOOD-VESSELS - THE POSSIBILITY OF CLINICAL-APPLICATION

This study was undertaken to investigate the effect of including vesse ls in a tube used to promote nerve regeneration across a gap. A tube c ontaining sural vessels was designed in a mt model and interposed betw een the proximal and distal stumps of a divided sciatic nerve, leaving a 25 mm gap. At 12 weeks, a few myelinated axons were seen at the mos t distal parts of regenerated nerves in 6 out of 10 rats, none of whic h evoked action potentials in the tibialis anterior muscle, bit by 24 weeks all the rats had developed neural tissue in the tubes, which evo ked action potentials in the muscle. The vessels within the tube enhan ced nerve regeneration and its distance up 25 mm. This type of vessel- containing tube would be useful for the repair of divided human periph eral nerves with long gaps, almost equivalent to or slightly longer th an the maximum length over which nerve fibres can regenerate through a unvascularised unmodified tube.