Blood supply of transected rabbit peripheral nerve after end-to-end suture or autogenous grafting. A microangiographic study.

The blood supply to the reconstructed peripheral nerve is one of the most significant factors for adequate regeneration and functional recovery. Experiments were performed to compare the revascularization of the tibial nerve of the rabbit following classical end-to-end anastomosis and autogenous nerve grafting. The animals were divided into two groups and from each animal a 1.5 cm length of the nerve was excised. End-to-end anastomosis was then performed in the first group of 12 animals. The second group received autogenous grafts from the peroneal nerve. A microangiographic study was performed after a survival time of 30 days. The microangiograms were analysed quantitatively, and the density of the vascular network at the sites of anastomosis and at the graft was quantified. The results indicated that nerve repair by means of grafts creates more favourable conditions for revascularization both of the grafts and of their connections with the nerve than end-to-end anastomosis.