The Early Nerve Regeneration and Functional Recovery after Canine Sciatic Nerve Gap Repaired by Chemical Acellular Nerve Allograft

Objective: To observe the early nerve regeneration and functional recovery in the canines,which had been made a large gap in the continuity of the sciatic nerve and the gap was repaired by allograft made acellular nerve through chemical extraction.Methods: Six canines were divided into acellular nerve allografting group(ANG,3 canines)and autografting group(AG,3 canines).The sciatic nerves on the right side of all animals were exposed and 5.0cm long segments of the nerves were removed from the mid thigh level and replaced by the two types of grafts.The functional recovery of hindlimb movements in canines was observed intensitively after operation.The nerve regeneration was revealed by morphological studies at 3 months after implantation.Results: All animals in ANG and AG had similar patterns of general manifestation and myodynamic recovery after implantation.Axons regeneration and Schwann cells migration had reoccupied the empty basal lamina tubes of the acellular allografting segments without excesive sign of inflammation following implantation.All animals in ANG and AG had similar nerve regeneration with massive large nerve fibers in the sciatic nerves distal to the grafting segments.Conclusions: It had similar patterns of early functional recovery and nerve regeneration in the canines,in which a 5.0cm gap in the continuity of the sciatic nerve was repaired by chemical acellular nerve allografting or autografting at 3 months after implantationn,it can not the absorbed or rejected.