Regenerative Capacity and Histomorphometric Changes in Rat Sciatic Nerve Following Experimental Neurotmesis

Through a wide range of cellular and molecular events, the peripheral nervous system is endowed with great regenerative capacity, responding immediately to injuries that occur along the length of the nerve. The aim of this study was to histomorphometrically assess the degree of maturity of the nervous tissue and possible microscopic changes in newly formed nerve segments 60 days after experimental neurotmesis of the sciatic nerve in rats. Control Group (CG) and an Injury Group (IG) were used. IG underwent neurotmesis of the sciatic nerve of the right foot, with immediate surgical repair using the tubulization technique. 60 days following experimental surgery, animals from both groups had their sciatic nerves collected for histomorphometric analysis. Statistical analysis was performed, using the Student t-test for independent samples, expressed as mean standard deviation, with 5% significance. In the event of injury, peripheral nerve tissue is mobilized in an intrinsic self-healing process. 60 days following of nerve regeneration in neurotmesis injury, the peripheral nerve presents a segment joining the newly formed neural stump. The new stump has a number of regenerated axons compatible with an intact nerve, but which still show great immaturity in the axonal structural layers of the nerve.