New methods of treatment of severely injured sciatic nerve and spinal cord. An experimental study.

It has been demonstrated that low-energy laser irradiation (LELI) applied simultaneously to the injured sciatic nerve and the corresponding segment of the spinal cord, accelerates the process of regeneration of the injured peripheral nerve. A beneficial influence of LELI was also observed when it was applied to the spinal cord following transection and implantation of a segment of an autologous sciatic nerve, but further studies are necessary to evaluate if real regeneration or only earlier distal cord automatism occurred. Both methods are proposed for treatment of peripheral nerve lesions (PNS) and spinal cord injuries.