[Regeneration of peripheral nerves by muscle autografts in rats. I. Morphological and morphometrical evaluation].

Regeneration of myelinated axons with 1 cm freeze-thawed skeletal muscle autografts was compared with nerve grafts in the rats. Regeneration was assessed histologically and morphometrically in the grafts and distal nerve stumps. Recovery of axon numbers and fibre diameters in distal nerve stumps was similar in the two kinds of grafts 6 months after operation. These observations suggest that freeze-thawed autogenous muscle grafts might be used in the repair of peripheral nerves.