Kim D H, Connolly S E, Gillespie J T, Voorhies R M, Kline D G
Department of Neurosurgery, Louisiana State University Medical Center, New Orleans.
J Neurosurg. 1991 Sep;75(3):440-6. doi: 10.3171/jns.1991.75.3.0440.
Electrophysiological studies were used to evaluate neurological recovery in 14 rhesus monkeys with different nerve lesion lengths and graft lengths. After exposure of both sciatic nerves in each animal, baseline evoked nerve action potentials, muscle action potentials, and muscle strength values were determined for the posterior tibial nerves. Each nerve was then crushed over a measured distance. Three weeks later, the crushed segments were resected and the defects repaired with sural nerve grafts. In seven animals, 20-mm resection sites were repaired by 4 x 20-mm grafts in one leg and by 4 x 40-mm grafts contralaterally. In the other seven animals, the lengths of resection sites were 10 mm in one leg and 30 mm contralaterally; both nerve defects in these animals were repaired by 4 x 30-mm grafts. Electrophysiological studies were repeated at one interval of either 4, 7, or 12 months after repair. Postoperative electrophysiological values were compared to baseline values and described by the mean values and by percent recovery. Muscle strength recovery was significantly better in limbs with short lesions. In animals with identical lesion lengths, lesions repaired with shorter grafts (the same length as the defect) did significantly worse than did lesions repaired with longer grafts. This may suggest that any degree of tension at the graft repair site has a deleterious effect on functional nerve regeneration. Nevertheless, it was generally found that nerve lesion length had the greatest negative effect on functional nerve regeneration.
电生理研究用于评估14只具有不同神经损伤长度和移植长度的恒河猴的神经恢复情况。在暴露每只动物的双侧坐骨神经后，测定胫后神经的基线诱发神经动作电位、肌肉动作电位和肌肉力量值。然后在测量的距离上挤压每根神经。三周后，切除挤压段并用腓肠神经移植物修复缺损。在7只动物中，一条腿的20毫米切除部位用4×20毫米移植物修复，对侧用4×40毫米移植物修复。在另外7只动物中，一条腿的切除部位长度为10毫米，对侧为30毫米；这些动物的双侧神经缺损均用4×30毫米移植物修复。在修复后的4、7或12个月的一个时间间隔重复进行电生理研究。将术后电生理值与基线值进行比较，并以平均值和恢复百分比来描述。短损伤肢体的肌肉力量恢复明显更好。在损伤长度相同的动物中，用较短移植物（与缺损长度相同）修复的损伤比用较长移植物修复的损伤明显更差。这可能表明移植物修复部位的任何程度的张力都会对功能性神经再生产生有害影响。然而，一般发现神经损伤长度对功能性神经再生的负面影响最大。
