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Processed nerve allografts have become an alternative to repair segmental nerve defects, with results comparable with autografts regarding sensory recovery; however, they have failed to reproduce comparable motor recovery. The purpose of this study was to determine how revascularizaton of processed nerve allograft would affect motor recovery. Eighty-eight rats were divided in four groups of 22 animals each. A unilateral 10-mm sciatic nerve defect was repaired with allograft (group I), allograft wrapped with silicone conduit (group II), allograft augmented with vascular endothelial growth factor (group III), or autograft (group IV). Eight animals from each group were sacrificed at 3 days, and the remaining animals at 16 weeks. Revascularization was evaluated by measuring the graft capillary density at 3 days and 16 weeks. Measurements of ankle contracture, compound muscle action potential, tibialis anterior muscle weight and force, and nerve histomorphometry were performed at 16 weeks. All results were normalized to the contralateral side. The results of capillary density at 3 days were 0.99% ± 1.3% for group I, 0.33% ± 0.6% for group II, 0.05% ± 0.1% for group III, and 75.6% ± 45.7% for group IV. At 16 weeks, the results were 69.9% ± 22.4% for group I, 37.0% ± 16.6% for group II, 84.6% ± 46.6% for group III, and 108.3% ± 46.8% for group IV. The results of muscle force were 47.5% ± 14.4% for group I, 21.7% ± 13.5% for group II, 47.1% ± 7.9% for group III, and 54.4% ± 10.6% for group IV. The use of vascular endothelial growth factor in the fashion used in this study improved neither the nerve allograft short-term revascularization nor the functional motor recovery after 16 weeks. Blocking allograft vascularization from surrounding tissues was detrimental for motor recovery. The processed nerve allografts used in this study showed similar functional motor recovery compared with that of the autograft.

Sexual behavior in children ages 2-12 is related to a variety of environmental, child-specific, and reporter-related variables. This paper reviews correlational research that has examined the relationship of sexual behavior to the variables of sexual abuse, domestic violence, physical abuse, family sexuality, age and gender of the child, child behavior problems, and reporter characteristics. Sexual behavior is directly related to environmental variables that cause dysregulated behavior in children. It is also associated with child behavior problems and varies with age and gender. There are a number of reporter-specific variables, including education level, abuse history, and openness to sexuality, that are also related to the level of reported sexual behavior. The article concludes with a reminder that correlation does not mean causation. [Article copies available for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery Service: 1-800-HAWORTH. E-mail address: Website:

Although judges most often make the final decision in cases of child abuse, the literature is relatively silent as to what they believe to be true about child abuse and neglect. From 224 district judges in the State of Texas, 36%, or 82, returned a 50-item questionnaire reasonably complete. The responses of these judges agreed with many major constructs in the literature on child abuse, but there were a number of important areas, e.g., family pathology, parent pathology, in which a majority of the judges differed from the literature. The 82 respondents showed considerable openness and flexibility in dealing with abuse.

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