The morphological and functional recovery after repair of lesions to the sciatic nerve was studied in adult rats. We compared conventional microsuturing with a synthetic ethyl-cyanoacrylate adhesive. Six months after a unilateral lesion and subsequent repair the tibial branch to the lateral gastrocnemius muscle and the caudal sural cutaneous nerve were examined with electrophysiological measurements of motor and sensory conduction velocity, motor nerve action potentials, and quantitative histological examinations. There was functional reinnervation of motor and sensory nerves in both groups, as shown by equivalent recovery of motor and sensory conduction velocities, and motor nerve action potentials. Histological examination showed no significant difference in the mean diameter, fibre density or the number of regenerated myelinated motor and sensory axons distal to the repair site between the two groups. We conclude that anastomosis of the nerve with ethyl-cyanoacrylate adhesive supports morphological and functional recovery comparable to that of conventional epineural sutures after a unilateral lesion of the sciatic nerve in adult rats.

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