de Kool B S, van Neck Johan W, Blok Joleen H, Walbeehm Erik T, Hekking Ineke, Visser Gerhard H
Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
J Peripher Nerv Syst. 2005 Dec;10(4):369-74. doi: 10.1111/j.1085-9489.2005.00049.x.
Ultrasound imaging of peripheral nerves is increasingly used in the clinic for a wide range of applications. Although yet unapplied for experimental neuroscience, it also has potential value in this research area. This study explores the feasibility, possibilities and limitations of this technique in rabbits, with special focus on peripheral nerve regeneration after trauma. The peroneal nerve of 25 New Zealand White rabbits was imaged at varying time intervals after a crush lesion. The ultrasonic appearance of the nerve was determined, and recordings were validated with in vivo anatomy. Nerve swelling at the lesion site was estimated from ultrasound images and compared with anatomical parameters. The peroneal nerve could reliably be identified in all animals, and its course and anatomical variations agreed perfectly with anatomy. Nerve diameters from ultrasound were related to in vivo diameters (p < 0.001, R(2) = 77%), although the prediction interval was rather wide. Nerve thickenings could be visualized and preliminary results indicate that ultrasound can differentiate between neuroma formation and external nerve thickening. The value of the technique for experimental neuroscience is discussed. We conclude that ultrasound imaging of the rabbit peroneal nerve is feasible and that it is a promising tool for different research areas within the field of experimental neuroscience.
外周神经的超声成像在临床上越来越多地用于广泛的应用。尽管尚未应用于实验神经科学，但它在该研究领域也具有潜在价值。本研究探讨了该技术在兔中的可行性、可能性和局限性，特别关注创伤后外周神经再生。对25只新西兰白兔的腓总神经在挤压损伤后的不同时间间隔进行成像。确定神经的超声表现，并通过体内解剖对记录进行验证。从超声图像估计损伤部位的神经肿胀，并与解剖学参数进行比较。在所有动物中均可可靠地识别出腓总神经，其走行和解剖变异与解剖学完全一致。超声测量的神经直径与体内直径相关（p < 0.001，R(2) = 77%），尽管预测区间相当宽。可以观察到神经增粗，初步结果表明超声可以区分神经瘤形成和外部神经增粗。讨论了该技术在实验神经科学中的价值。我们得出结论，兔腓总神经的超声成像可行，并且是实验神经科学领域不同研究领域的一种有前途的工具。
