ABSTRACT
To evaluate the effect of cable nerve graft polarity, the bilateral common peroneal
nerves in 12 rabbits were excised to create 20-mm nerve gaps. These gaps were repaired
with cable grafts using three strands of 20-mm ipsilateral sural nerves. In the left
leg, the sural nerves were grafted with the original orientation. In the right leg,
the nerve graft polarity was reversed 180°. Six months later, motor conduction velocities
were evaluated, and the bilateral anterior tibial muscles and extensor digitorum longus
muscles were measured. The nerves were harvested and analyzed histologically. Motor
conduction velocity was 37.4±4.1 m/s in the reversed group, and 36.6±5.5 m/s in the
control group. The weight of the muscles was 7.2±0.8 g in the reversed orientation,
and 7.0±1.0 g in the original orientation. None of the differences was statistically
significant. Histologically, the axon counts and the axonal density distal to the
nerve graft also showed no differences between groups. The sural nerves used did not
have a major branch and their diameter was almost the same throughout its length.
Reversing nerve graft polarity of a cable graft did not affect nerve regeneration
electrophysiologically or histologically.
KEYWORDS
Cable nerve graft - reversed polarity - nerve regeneration
