J Reconstr Microsurg 2011; 27(1): 005-010
DOI: 10.1055/s-0030-1267387
© Thieme Medical Publishers

Effect of Bilateral Median Nerve Excision on Sciatic Functional Index in Rat: An Applicable Animal Model for Autologous Nerve Grafting

Mohammad Hosein Nabian1 , Mehdi Nadji-Tehrani1 , Leila Oryadi Zanjani1 , Reza Shahryar Kamrani2 , Vafa Rahimi-Movaghar3 , Masoumeh Firouzi1
  • 1Tissue Repair Laboratory, Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics (IBB), University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
  • 2Department of Orthopaedics and Trauma Surgery, Shariati Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
  • 3Sina Trauma and Surgery Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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Publikationsdatum:
13. Oktober 2010 (online)

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ABSTRACT

Autologous nerve graft is still the treatment of choice in peripheral nerve injury when end-to-end nerve repair is not possible. The sciatic nerve is the most widely used nerve in rat experimental studies. To assess the possibility of using the rat median nerve as a delayed animal autologous nerve graft model in nerve regeneration studies, the effect of median nerve excision on the sciatic functional index (SFI) was evaluated. Thirty rats were distributed into three equal groups: in the sciatic and median nerve excision (SMNE) group, 10 mm of the right sciatic nerve was excised and 5 mm of both median nerves were excised a week later; in the median nerve excision (MNE) group, 5 mm of both median nerves were excised (both sciatic nerves remained intact); in the control group, no intervention was performed. SFI was calculated before and after each intervention. There was no significant difference between mean SFI values calculated before and after median nerve excision in SMNE (−86.8 versus −88.4, p = 0.61) and MNE groups (−3.9 versus −3.3, p = 0.93). Therefore, it may be suggested that median nerve excision does not affect SFI measurements in intact and/or completely injured sciatic nerve, which may propose the median nerve as an autologous donor nerve graft model in rats.

REFERENCES

Masoumeh FirouziPh.D. 

(Tissue Engineering), Tissue Repair Laboratory, Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics (IBB)

University of Tehran, Enqelab Street, Tehran, Iran

eMail: firouzi@ibb.ut.ac.ir

Reza Shahryar KamraniM.D. 

(Hand Surgeon), Orthopaedics and Trauma Surgery Department, Shariati Hospital

Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Jalal-ale-Ahmad Street, Tehran, Iran

eMail: rz_kamrani@yahoo.com