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J Reconstr Microsurg 2014; 30(02): 127-136
DOI: 10.1055/s-0033-1357500
Original Article
Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

Vascularized versus Nonvascularized Island Median Nerve Grafts in the Facial Nerve Regeneration and Functional Recovery of Rats for Facial Nerve Reconstruction Study

Hajime Matsumine
1   Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Tokyo Women's Medical University, School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
2   Institute of Advanced Biomedical Engineering and Science, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Tokyo, Japan
,
Ryo Sasaki
2   Institute of Advanced Biomedical Engineering and Science, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Tokyo, Japan
3   Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Global Center of Excellence (COE) Program, Tokyo Women's Medical University, School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
,
Yuichi Takeuchi
4   Department of Physiology, Tokyo Women's Medical University, School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
,
Mariko Miyata
4   Department of Physiology, Tokyo Women's Medical University, School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
5   Precursory Research for Embryonic Science and Technology, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Saitama, Japan
,
Masayuki Yamato
2   Institute of Advanced Biomedical Engineering and Science, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Tokyo, Japan
,
Teruo Okano
2   Institute of Advanced Biomedical Engineering and Science, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Tokyo, Japan
,
Hiroyuki Sakurai
1   Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Tokyo Women's Medical University, School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

02 July 2013

13 August 2013

Publication Date:
25 October 2013 (online)

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Abstract

Histological and physiological basis of the therapeutic efficacy of the vascularized autologous nerve graft in facial nerve regeneration remains poorly understood because of no established rat model. The left median nerve and median artery/vein of Lewis rats were collectively ligated, and harvested as a vascularized island median nerve, which was transplanted to a 7-mm gap in the left buccal branch of facial nerve. Nerve regeneration was investigated. The numbers of myelinated fibers, axon diameter, and myelin thickness were significantly higher in the vascularized nerve graft group than in the nonvascularized nerve graft group. Compound muscle action potential measurement showed that the parameters of vascularized group were similar to those in the intact control group. A vascularized median nerve graft resulted in better facial nerve regeneration outcomes.

Keywords

vascularized nerve transplantation - facial nerve - rat - buccal branch - median nerve
 

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