Detrimental Effects of Immobilization on Functional Recovery After Sciatic Nerve Crush

ABSTRACT

Peripheral-nerve trauma has been a challenge to surgeons, with significant advances in the surgery of repair. Immobilization of the injured limb after repair has been the traditional method of treatment. Although peripheral-nerve regeneration has been studied extensively, the correlation between functional recovery and the immobilization period has not been well-documented. In the present study, the authors studied the effects of immobilization on axonal regeneration after sciatic crush injury. They found a detrimental effect of immobilization on the functional recovery.

KEYWORDS

Immobilization - crush injury - sciatic nerve

REFERENCES

• 1 Jokl P, Konstadt S. The effect of limb immobilization on muscle function and protein composition.  Clin Orthop. 1983;  222-229
• 2 Kauhanen S, Leivo I, Michelsson J E. Early muscle changes after immobilization. An experimental study on muscle damage.  Clin Orthop. 1993;  44-50
• 3 Lieber R L, McKee-Woodburn T, Gershuni D H. Recovery of the dog quadriceps after 10 weeks of immobilization followed by 4 weeks of remobilization.  J Orthop Res. 1989;  7 408-412
• 4 Lee W P, Constantinescu M A, Butler P E. Effect of early mobilization on healing of nerve repair: histologic observations in a canine model.  Plast Reconstr Surg. 1999;  104 1718-1725
• 5 Sarikcioglu L, Ozkan O. Yasargil-Phynox aneurysm clips: a simple and reliable device for making a peripheral nerve injury.  Int J Neurosci. 2003;  113 455-464
• 6 de Medinaceli L, Freed W J, Wyatt R J. An index of the functional condition of rat sciatic nerve based on measurements made from walking tracks.  Exp Neurol. 1982;  77 634-643
• 7 Carlton J M, Goldberg N H. Quantitating integrated muscle function following reinnervation.  Surg Forum. 1986;  37 611-614
• 8 Bain J R, Mackinnon S E, Hunter D A. Functional evaluation of complete sciatic, peroneal, and posterior tibial nerve lesions in the rat.  Plast Reconstr Surg. 1989;  83 129-138
• 9 Luna L L. Manual of Staining Methods of the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology New York; McGraw-Hill Book Company 1968: 206-207
• 10 Booth F W. Physiologic and biochemical effects of immobilization on muscle.  Clin Orthop. 1987;  15-20
• 11 Herbison G J, Jaweed M M, Ditunno Jr J F. Recovery of reinnervating rat muscle after cast immobilization.  Exp Neurol. 1984;  85 239-248
• 12 Pachter B R, Eberstein A. Neuromuscular plasticity following limb immobilization.  J Neurocytol. 1984;  13 1013-1025
• 13 Kim H K, Kerr R G, Turley C B, Evans P J, Jay V, Salter R B. The effects of postoperative continuous passive motion on peripheral nerve repair and regeneration. An experimental investigation in rabbits.  J Hand Surg. 1998;  23B 594-597
• 14 De Girolami U, Anthony D C, Frosch M P. Peripheral nerve and skeletal muscle. In: Cotren RS, Kumar V, Collins T Robbins Pathologic Basis of Diseases Philadelphia; WB. Saunders Co 1999: 1269-1291
• 15 Ortiz-Hidalgo C, Weller R O. Peripheral nervous system. In: Sternberg SS Histology for Pathologists New York; Raven Press Ltd 1992: 169-193