A magnetic evaluation of peripheral nerve regeneration: I. The discrepancy between magnetic and histologic data from the proximal segment

✍ Scribed by Paul D.L. Kuypers; Jan M. van Egeraat; Michiel Dudok v Heel; Lourens J. van Briemen; Moshe Godschalk; Steven E.R. Hovius

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1998
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 289 KB
• Volume: 21
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0148-639X
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1097-4598(199806)21:6<739::aid-mus5>3.0.co;2-8

✦ Synopsis

Histologic techniques can quantify the number of axons in a nerve, but give no information about electrical conductibility. The number of functional myelinated neuronal units in a nerve can be quantified based on a magnetic recording technique. When studying reconstructed peripheral nerves a significant difference between the results found with these two techniques can be observed. A comparison was made between the longterm changes in the number of histologically and magnetoneurophysiologically measured neuronal units proximal to a nerve reconstruction. This study was performed on 6 New Zealand White rabbits, 20 weeks after the peroneal nerve had been reconstructed. The contralateral nerves were used as a control. Histologic examination demonstrates a statistically significant decrease of approximately 5% in the number of myelinated fibers. The magnetoneurophysiological results demonstrate a decrease which is estimated to be caused by the loss of approximately 50% of the functional myelinated neuronal units in the nerve. Therefore we conclude that of the initially available myelinated neuronal units, 5% degenerate completely, 45% are vital but lose their signal conducting capability, and the remaining 50% are vital and continue to conduct signals. Apparently, only this latter group of 50% of the initially available functional neuronal units appears to remain available for functional recovery.