• Jun Mo Jung, Moon Sang Chung, Min Bom Kim, and Goo Hyun Baek.
• Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Yeson Hospital, Bucheon, Korea.
• Clin Orthop Surg. 2009 Jun 1; 1 (2): 90-5.

BackgroundThe aim of this study was to evaluate the contribution of the proximal nerve stump, in end-to-side nerve repair, to functional recovery, by modifying the classic end-to-side neurorrhaphy and suturing the proximal nerve stump to a donor nerve in a rat model of a severed median nerve.MethodsThree experimental groups were studied: a modified end-to-side neurorrhaphy with suturing of the proximal nerve stump (double end-to-side neurorrhaphy, Group I), a classic end-to-side neurorrhaphy (Group II) and a control group without neurorrhaphy (Group III). Twenty weeks after surgery, grasping testing, muscle contractility testing, and histological studies were performed.ResultsThe grasping strength, muscle contraction force and nerve fiber count were significantly higher in group I than in group II, and there was no evidence of nerve recovery in group III.ConclusionsThe contribution from the proximal nerve stump in double end-to-side nerve repair might improve axonal sprouting from the donor nerve and help achieve a better functional recovery in an end-to-side coaptation model.

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