Use of chemically extracted muscle grafts to repair extended nerve defects in rats
Author
Summary, in English
Nerve regeneration, measured as axonal outgrowth, Schwann cell migration, macrophage invasion, and neovascularisation, was compared after repair of a 15 mm gap in rats' sciatic nerves using autologous muscle grafts made acellular either by freezing and thawing or by chemical extraction. Both extracted and freeze-thawed acellular muscle grafts could be used to bridge the defect. However, axons and Schwann cells, as shown by immunohistochemical staining for neurofilaments and S-100 protein, respectively, grew faster into the extracted muscle grafts than into the freeze-thawed acellular muscle grafts and somewhat more axons were observed in the former graft. There were no significant differences between the two graft types with respect to neovascularisation as showed by staining for endothelial alkaline phosphatase, and limited differences concerning invasion of macrophages (ED1 and ED2) as detected by immunocytochemistry. The results showed that chemically extracted muscle grafts could be used to bridge an extended nerve defect and that such grafts in some aspects were superior to freeze-thawed muscle grafts for extended gaps.
Department/s
Publishing year
2001
Language
English
Pages
337-345
Publication/Series
Scandinavian Journal of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and Hand Surgery
Volume
35
Issue
4
Document type
Journal article
Publisher
Taylor & Francis
Topic
- Surgery
Keywords
- Muscle
- Graft
- Acellular
- Nerve
- Regeneration
- Schwann
- Cell
- Macrophages
- Immunocytochemistry
- Axons
- Repair
Status
Published
Research group
- Hand Surgery, Malmö
ISBN/ISSN/Other
- ISSN: 1651-2073