IMMEDIATE AND DELAYED NERVE REPAIR USING FREEZE-THAWED MUSCLE AUTOGRAFTS IN COMPLEX NERVE INJURIES - CAVITATION, FIBROSIS AND HEMATOMA

Six sheep underwent repair of the median nerve along with the establis hment of a cavity, fibrosis and haematoma at the site of injury. A fur ther six sheep underwent similar repair delayed for 30 days after the establishment of the complicating injury. Six months after the nerve r epair each group of sheep was assessed using electrophysiological and morphometric methods to establish objective indices of nerve recovery and regeneration. These results were compared with sheep which had und ergone both immediate and delayed nerve repair with no complicating in jury. It was found that delay of the nerve repair and the presence of a complicating injury, both alone and together, contributed to a poore r outcome in recovery of nerve function and maturation.