HISTOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF THE GREATER AURICULAR NERVE AND ITS USE AS AGRAFT

Many factors are involved in successful nerve grafting. Morphometric s imilarity between donor and recipient nerve is one of these factors. A histological study was undertaken to determine the suitability of the greater auricular nerve as a graft in head and neck surgery. Nerves w ere obtained from fresh human cadavers and evaluated for length, total cross-sectional area, total fascicular cross-sectional area and fasci cular number, at three separate points along the nerve. Comparisons we re made with similar studies of the sural and facial nerve. The study confirms the clinical view that the greater auricular nerve is ideal w hen short sections of graft are required in head and neck surgery.