The purpose of this study was to observe the cellular components of regenerating peripheral
nerves within a nerve conduit. Rat sciatic nerves were placed in a silicone conduit
with a 5-mm gap between nerve endings. At weekly intervals for 6 weeks, 70-nm sections
of nerve tissue from the conduit were obtained for ultrastructural observation. The
principal cellular components by the end of the first week were macrophages and fibroblasts.
By the end of the second week, both myelinated and unmyelinated nerve fibers began
to pass through the entire conduit. By the end of the fifth week, nerve fibers were
present at various levels of maturity, with no evidence of inflammatory or immunologic
response. By the end of the sixth week, the percentage of nerve fibers was 86 percent
of the cellular components. This analysis provides cellular data on which to base
additional research regarding functional outcomes when using nerve conduits.
KEYWORDS
Nerve conduit - Schwann cells - ultrastructural analysis
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Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin
9200 West Wisconsin Avenue
Milwaukee, WI 53226
