Sources of blood supply and angioarchitecture of nerves in limbs of the white rat.

Sources of blood supply and structure of vascular network were described in nerves of forelimbs and hindlimbs of 30 Wistar strain rats. The vessels were injected through the left ventricle of the heart with aqueous solution of gelatin, stained with black ink. Following fixation in formaldehyde samples were taken at various points of the median, ulnar, radial, musculocutaneous, femoral, nerves and their terminal branches. The preparations were made translucent in methyl benzoate. The observations point to constant sources of regional vessels supplying nerves of forelimbs and hindlimbs and to a similar angioarchitecture of studied nerve trunks at their entire length. Branches of regional vessels which enter the nerves form a fine mesh network in epineurium. Within nerve fascicles capillary network forms a uniform cord of vessels, the structure of which resembles that of human sciatic nerve.