ABSTRACT
Standardized experimental nerve crush attempts should include the number, duration,
and intensity (amount of pressure) of crushes. The authors have developed a new crushing
device, a clamp with which predetermined forces can be applied to nerves. This allows
the exertion of different, standardized forces to crush a nerve within a scale that
produces second-degree injuries. The main advantages of the clamp are that it is small,
although very robust, is purely mechanical, and is easy to handle. The jaws of the
clamp are not serrated, so that pressure on the nerve is uniformly transmitted. To
avoid unintended nerve damage, the edges of the jaws are smoothly rounded off. The
closure of the clamp is mechanized by a spring. As the spring is exchangeable, any
number of different preloads are available. The force can be varied, according to
different requirements, and is applicable to variantly thick nerves in any experimental
animal, thus enhancing standardization, and making cross-over comparisons of experimental
study results possible.
KEYWORD
Non-serrated clamp - nerve crush - standardization
