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The use of silicone tubes in end-to-side nerve grafting: an experimental study

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Abstract

This study investigated the feasibility of inducing collateral nerve sprouting by artificial nerve grafts. The rat left peroneal nerve was severed and a 10-mm segment was removed. A perineurial window was created in the ipsilateral tibial nerve. The distal stump of the peroneal nerve was connected end-to-side to the perineurial window with either a nerve autograft (group A), a silicone tube (group B), or a silicone tube lined with cultured Schwann cells (group C). After 90 days light microscopy showed collateral nerve regeneration not only through the nerve grafts but also through silicone tubes. The presence of Schwann cells ensured significantly higher regeneration rate in the silicone tubes (87% in group C vs. 40% in group B) which was comparable to that of nerve grafts (100%). Interestingly, morphometric findings and functional recovery in the case of nerve regeneration were very similar in all groups.

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Acknowledgements

This research was presented at the 13th Annual Meeting of the European Association of Plastic Surgeons in Crete, Greece, 30 May–1 June 2002.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Plastic Surgery-Microsurgery and Burns Center, General State Hospital of Athens G. Gennimatas, 154 Mesogion Avenue, 11527, Athens, Greece

    Andreas Gravvanis, Markos Karvelas, Efstathios Lykoudis, Apostolos Papalois, Constantinos Stamatopoulos & John Ioannovich

  2. Department of Biochemistry, Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, Athens, Greece

    Alexandros Lavdas & Rebecca Matsas

  3. Department of Pathology, General State Hospital of Athens G. Gennimatas, 154 Mesogion Avenue, 11527, Athens, Greece

    Charalampos Patralexis

Authors
  1. Andreas Gravvanis
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  2. Markos Karvelas
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  3. Efstathios Lykoudis
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  4. Alexandros Lavdas
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  5. Apostolos Papalois
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  7. Rebecca Matsas
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  8. Constantinos Stamatopoulos
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  9. John Ioannovich
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Correspondence to Andreas Gravvanis.

Additional information

An invited commentary to this paper is available at: http://dx.doi.org./10.1007/s00238-003-502-0

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Gravvanis, A., Karvelas, M., Lykoudis, E. et al. The use of silicone tubes in end-to-side nerve grafting: an experimental study. Eur J Plast Surg 26, 111–115 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00238-003-0501-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00238-003-0501-1

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