Papalia Igor, Tos Pierluigi, Scevola Anna, Raimondo Stefania, Geuna Stefano
Dipartimento delle Specialità Chirurgiche, Sezione di Chirurgia Plastica, Università di Messina, Policlinico Universitario, Italy.
J Neurosci Methods. 2006 Jun 30;154(1-2):198-203. doi: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2005.12.012. Epub 2006 Feb 8.
The assessment of recovery of the neuromuscular function following nerve lesion and repair is one of the main goals of peripheral nerve researchers. The forelimb model has recently seen an increase in its employment for experimental nerve repair studies especially because of the availability of the grasping test for assessing the functional recovery of one of its major nerves, the median nerve. Nerve repair studies sometimes require the use of more than one nerve to simulate severe clinical situations and, in this case, the ulnar nerve is often used together with the median nerve. However, a test for assessing ulnar nerve functional recovery is yet not available. To fill this gap, we have developed and experimentally tested a method for the functional assessment of posttraumatic ulnar nerve recovery in the rat. Animal testing using this method is simple, quick and provides the animal with minimal distress. The method proved to be effective in detecting the date on which recovery starts after ulnar nerve impairment and in following its improvement, over time. The availability of this new test is expected to further increase the employment of forelimb experimental nerve models instead of the more disabling hindlimb models.
评估神经损伤和修复后神经肌肉功能的恢复情况是周围神经研究人员的主要目标之一。前肢模型最近在实验性神经修复研究中的应用有所增加，特别是因为有抓握测试可用于评估其主要神经之一正中神经的功能恢复。神经修复研究有时需要使用多条神经来模拟严重的临床情况，在这种情况下，尺神经常与正中神经一起使用。然而，目前尚无评估尺神经功能恢复的测试方法。为了填补这一空白，我们开发并通过实验测试了一种用于评估大鼠创伤后尺神经恢复功能的方法。使用这种方法进行动物测试简单、快速，且给动物带来的痛苦最小。该方法被证明在检测尺神经损伤后恢复开始的日期以及跟踪其随时间的改善情况方面是有效的。预计这种新测试方法的出现将进一步增加前肢实验性神经模型的应用，而不再使用更具致残性的后肢模型。
