Redistribution of nerve strain enables end-to-end repair under tension without inhibiting nerve regeneration.

ABSTRACT: End-to-end repair under no or low tension leads to improved outcomes for transected nerves with short gaps, compared to repairs with a graft. However, grafts are typically used to enable a tension-free repair for moderate to large gaps, as excessive tension can cause repairs to fail and catastrophically impede recovery. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that unloading the repair interface by redistributing tension away from the site of repair is a safe and feasible strategy for end-to-end repair of larger nerve gaps. Further, we tested the hypothesis that such an approach does not adversely affect structural and functional regeneration. In this study, we used a rat sciatic nerve injury model to compare the integrity of repair and several regenerative outcomes following end-to-end rep

SUBMITTER: Howarth HM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6425842 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature