Peripheral nerve changes following epineurial injection of saline and blood in rat sciatic nerve.

The effects of warm saline and heparinized autogeneic blood injection on a rat sciatic nerve were observed by histologic, histochemic, and CT planimetry. Demonstrable intraneural degenerative changes and epineurial cellular proliferation were present in both groups. Hemosiderin deposits were present in the epineurium and intraneurally only in the blood group. Epineurial saline injection produces nerve damage; therefore, its use for the purpose of neurolysis is not recommended. Further investigations are needed to study the effect of nonheparinized blood injection. The use of computerized planimetry in assessing quantitative nerve damage proved to be feasible.