Can therapeutic ultrasound influence the regeneration of peripheral nerves?

O ultrassom terapêutico na medula espinhal acelera a regeneração do nervo ciático de ratos

“…37 The non-significant differences between Groups 1 and 2 indicate that the effects of the ultrasonic irradiation, though positive, are not pronounced, much less spectacular. This fact had already been observed in a previous investigation, in which the irradiation was initiated early, on the first postoperative day, and targeted the site of the actual injury, 19 with results evaluated only until the third week. In fact, the SFI, both in this and in that investigation, was virtually and statistically the same for the two groups in all the weeks, except for the third, but improved more expressively for Group 2, with a difference of 97% between the first and the last postoperative evaluation, by contrast with a difference of 79% for Group 1 in the same period.…”

“…14 Spontaneous or stimulated posttraumatic regeneration of the peripheral nerves has been the motive of experimental investigations by our group, mostly using the rat model of sciatic nerve crush injury, 3,[15][16][17][18] including investigations into the use of therapeutic ultrasound, 19,20 which confirmed the results of other authors, according to which ultrasonic irradiation effectively stimulates or accelerates conduction speed 21 and the actual regeneration of the peripheral nerves. 22 Ultrasonic or laser irradiation are preferably applied on the injured segment, [18][19][20] but irradiation at another site of the nerve chain, such as the spinal cord, 23 was also tested with equally positive results. From the anatomophysiological point of view, irradiation at the spinal cord level is logical, as it is targeted at the cell bodies of the motor and sensory neurons, already located.…”

“…On the other hand, functional regeneration also depends on the morphologic regeneration of the injured axons, which justifies the ultrasonic irradiation and the application of other resources also at this level. 3,18,19 In this investigation we tested the theory that ultrasonic irradiation at the height of the neural axis, involving the spinal cord and the sensory ganglia, stimulates or accelerates rat sciatic nerve regeneration after controlled crush injury, evaluating the results by means of the functional analysis of gait and measurement of the sciatic functional index. The experimental model used was that of the sciatic nerve of the rat, considered suitable for the purposes of the investigation, since this animal is known for its fast nerve regeneration capacity, which favors studies of short duration.…”

“…In practically all the previous investigations, the animals' tracks were obtained by prints, either using ink on paper, or with liquid developer on unused x-ray film. 3,19,20,30,35 In this investigation, the footprint images were obtained by video recording on a mobile treadmill with controlled speed, developed in our laboratory specifically for rat gait analysis. This equipment had already been tested in a previous experiment, having shown greater fidelity in the obtainment of footprint images and greater ease in the measurement of parameters and of the actual SFI, in comparison with the printing methods.…”

Neuroprotective effects of agmatine in experimental peripheral nerve injury in rats: a prospective randomized and placebo-controlled trial

“…In the treatment of peripheral nerve injuries, suturing with vinyl and silk was done first; however in light of the number of sutures and the negative effects of the sutures on recovery, fibrin glue and wrapping the injured nerve were also tried. Electrical stimulation, therapeutic ultrasound, low-dose radiation, and low-intensity laser were also tested in experimental models to produce nerve regeneration and functional recovery (8,13,15,16,17).…”