Comparative study of rat sciatic nerve microepineurial anastomoses made with carbon dioxide laser and suture techniques: Part 2. A morphometric analysis of myelinated nerve fibers.

Sciatic nerves of rats were severed with steel scalpel blades and subsequently anastomosed with epineurial sutures and laser-aided techniques. Morphometric analysis of myelinated nerve fibers proximal and distal to the anastomosed region revealed that the laser had no deleterious effects on the degree of retrograde axonal degeneration or regeneration potential as compared to the traditional suture technique. Although no significant difference in myelinated nerve fiber population was evident between the two methods, future experimentation with various laser parameters might lead to more effective use of lasers in nerve repair.