OBSERVATIONS ON INJURY AND REPAIR OF PERIPHERAL NERVES

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Observations were made in vivo of the repair of the posterior auricular nerve of the rabbit after injury to the nerve. By the use of transparent chambers and intravital staining, injury and repair of nerves could be observed. Nerves were observed subsequent to crushing, sectioning and grafting with fresh autografts as well as with fresh and preserved homografts. Regardless of the nature of the injury to which the nerves were subjected, the first occurrence thereafter was the development of a complex network of blood vessels which formed in the crushed region, or which spanned the gap between the proximal and distal stumps when the nerve was sectioned or when a part of the nerve was resected. Similarly when a graft was placed in the course of the nerve, it was first completely vascularized whether it was an autograft or a fresh or preserved homograft. Repair of the nerves occurred more rapidly when fresh than when preserved grafts were used. The results of the work presented strongly emphasize the importance of the circulation in the regeneration of nerves and suggest that after injury to nervous tissue every effort should be made to provide an adequate blood supply for the injured nerves in order that their repair may be facilitated.

This publication has 3 references indexed in Scilit: