The tendon autograft used for peripheral nerve repair - spatiotemporal progress of regeneration and functional recovery

The tendon autograft used for peripheral nerve repair - spatiotemporal progress of regeneration and functional recovery

Field: Other

Authors: Brandt, Jerker
Dahlin, Lars B
Kanje, Martin
Lundborg, Göran

Address of presenting
author: Dept. of Hand Surgery
Malmö University Hospital
Lund University
S-205 02 Malmö
Sweden

E-mail: jerker.brandt@hand.mas.lu.se

Phone: 040-331000

Fax: 040-336207

Text of abstract: There is a need for alternative strategies in peripheral nerve repair, since the current clinical practice of nerve autografting results in a sensory deficit in the area of the donor nerve, shortage of graft material in large injuries and commonly misdirection of regenerating axons.
We have previously shown that a tendon autograft from the rat tail can support regeneration when used for bridging a transected sciatic nerve. In order to characterize the progress of regeneration in such a graft, and to evaluate functional recovery, we bridged a 10 or 15 mm defect in the rat sciatic nerve with a tendon autograft, and assessed the results of regeneration immunocytochemically. Functional recovery was assessed by measuring the muscle tetanic force of the gastrocnemius muscle and related to the number of regenerating fibres in the tibial nerve. Axonal regeneration commenced after an initial delay period of 6.8 days. The rate of the subsequent regeneration was 1.0 mm/day. Schwann cells colonized the graft from both the proximal and the distal nerve segments, proximally forming a front just ahead of the axons. Muscle force was similar to that after repair with an acellular muscle graft, and correlated with the number of regenerating axons.
Extracellular matrix components, such as laminin and fibronectin, present in the tendon, have previously been linked to enhancement of axonal regeneration. Regenerating cellular elements tend to grow along the parallel bundles of collagen present in the tendon autograft. The graft also seems to be a suitable host for cultured Schwann cells, which enhance regeneration. No shortage of graft material would arise in the clinical setting, since the human plantaris tendon shares the physical properties of the rat tail tendon.

Keywords: regeneration, Schwann cells, tendon, peripheral nerve

	The tendon autograft used for peripheral nerve repair - spatiotemporal progress of regeneration and functional recovery
Field:	Other
Authors:	Brandt, Jerker Dahlin, Lars B Kanje, Martin Lundborg, Göran
Address of presenting author:	Dept. of Hand Surgery Malmö University Hospital Lund University S-205 02 Malmö Sweden
E-mail:	jerker.brandt@hand.mas.lu.se
Phone:	040-331000
Fax:	040-336207
Text of abstract:	There is a need for alternative strategies in peripheral nerve repair, since the current clinical practice of nerve autografting results in a sensory deficit in the area of the donor nerve, shortage of graft material in large injuries and commonly misdirection of regenerating axons. We have previously shown that a tendon autograft from the rat tail can support regeneration when used for bridging a transected sciatic nerve. In order to characterize the progress of regeneration in such a graft, and to evaluate functional recovery, we bridged a 10 or 15 mm defect in the rat sciatic nerve with a tendon autograft, and assessed the results of regeneration immunocytochemically. Functional recovery was assessed by measuring the muscle tetanic force of the gastrocnemius muscle and related to the number of regenerating fibres in the tibial nerve. Axonal regeneration commenced after an initial delay period of 6.8 days. The rate of the subsequent regeneration was 1.0 mm/day. Schwann cells colonized the graft from both the proximal and the distal nerve segments, proximally forming a front just ahead of the axons. Muscle force was similar to that after repair with an acellular muscle graft, and correlated with the number of regenerating axons. Extracellular matrix components, such as laminin and fibronectin, present in the tendon, have previously been linked to enhancement of axonal regeneration. Regenerating cellular elements tend to grow along the parallel bundles of collagen present in the tendon autograft. The graft also seems to be a suitable host for cultured Schwann cells, which enhance regeneration. No shortage of graft material would arise in the clinical setting, since the human plantaris tendon shares the physical properties of the rat tail tendon.

Keywords:	regeneration, Schwann cells, tendon, peripheral nerve

Index

Created 2000-04-11

Department of Physiological Sciences, Lund University

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