Susceptibility of the diabetic nerve to chronic compression.

This study tested the hypothesis that the peripheral nerve in the presence of diabetes is more susceptible to chronic nerve compression than it is in the nondiabetic rat. A 1-cm length of sciatic nerve was subjected to chronic compression by banding with a Silastic tube in normal and in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. After six months of banding, both the amplitude and conduction velocity of the diabetic banded sciatic nerve were significantly reduced (p less than 0.001) in comparison with the nondiabetic banded rats. These results suggest that in the presence of hyperglycemia, the peripheral nerve is more susceptible to chronic compression.