Implantation of peripheral neural stump into muscle and its effect on the development of posttraumatic neuroma.

Dissection of the peripheral nerve is associated inherently with the development of posttraumatic neuroma on the end of the proximal stump of damaged nerve. It is unfavourable, as it causes pain on the side of dissected nerve and additionally it is an obstacle in case of secondary surgical reconstruction of the nerve. Among many methods of treating stumps of dissected nerves in order to avoid the development of neuromas, it is recommended to sew the proximal stump of dissected nerve into the venter of adjacent skeletal muscle. The present study is an evaluation of histological changes occurring at the borderline between nerve and muscle after implanting the proximal stump of dissected femoral nerve into the venter of skeletal muscle. The experiments were carried out in 30 WAG rats in which sciatic nerves were cut and the proximal end of the nerve was introduced into the venter of the adjacent muscle. The nerves with muscular fragments were obtained for histological analysis at 3, 5, 10, 20 and 40 days. In no specimen signs of developing posttraumatic neuroma were found.