[Vascularized intercostal nerve transfer--an experimental study].

The influence of vascularized intercostal nerve detachment on axonal regeneration and skeletal muscle recovery was examined in two experiments using two mongrel dogs. Experiment 1: The influence of detachment of the vascularized intercostal nerve on axonal regeneration and interfascicular blood flow was examined. Detachment of the intercostal nerve without accompanying blood vessels resulted in a marked decrease in blood flow and axonal degeneration at the distal 60% of the total length of the intercostal nerve. In contrast, no significant axonal degeneration was observed in the intercostal nerve that remained vascularized. Experiment 2: The condition of the biceps brachii muscles was continuously studied up to 9 months after intercostal nerve transfer. 1) Nine months after the intercostal nerve transfer, the regeneration of the biceps brachii as estimated by the wet weight was better at the vascularized side than at the unvascularized side. 2) Histochemical analysis on the biceps brachii revealed that type 1 fiber was predominant over type 2 fiber at six months post-transfer, whereas both type 1 and type 2 fiber were equally present at one month after transfer.