J Korean Orthop Res Soc.  2008 Oct;11(2):56-63.

A Morphologic Study on the Regeneration of Sciatic Nerve Replaced with Autogenous Skeletal Muscle in Rat

• Kim HJ
• Park JH
• Song CH
• Lee JM

Abstract

PURPOSE: To investigate the morphological features of nerve regeneration in the rat sciatic nerve defect filled with autogenous skeletal muscle.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
We used thirty Sprague-Dawley rats with weight of 300g. Nerve segment of 1 cm was resected from the right sciatic nerve in the study group. After filling the defect with autogenous skeletal muscle, we sutured epineurium of the resected sicatic nerve. At twelve months after surgery, examination with light and transmission electron microscopies were performed on the specimens and left normal sciatic nerves. RESUTLS: Many regenerating nerve fibers were detected along the muscle graft. The number of myelinated nerve fibers was significantly greater in regenerated nerves than in normal nerves, but the size of myelinated nerve fibers was smaller in regenerated nerves. Ultrastructural observations showed nerve fibers and Schwann cells between muscle fibers.
CONCLUSION
The light and transmission electron microscopy showed that a good morphological pattern of nerve regeneration in gap filled with skeletal muscle.

Keyword

Sciatic nerve; Skeletal muscle; Nerve regeneration

MeSH Terms

Animals
Electrons
Light
Microscopy
Microscopy, Electron, Transmission
Muscle, Skeletal
Muscles
Nerve Fibers
Nerve Fibers, Myelinated
Nerve Regeneration
Peripheral Nerves
Rats
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
Regeneration
Schwann Cells
Sciatic Nerve
Transplants