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Histomorphometrical assessment of regenerated peripheral nerves is a very common goal of many studies in experimental microsurgery. In this paper, the main critical issues in nerve fiber sampling for quantitative morphological assessment are addressed. The equal opportunity rule, i.e., the basic paradigm of random sampling, is described, together with an explanation of how sampling errors, in the selection of histologic fields and of the nerve fibers inside them, can produce a bias in quantitative estimates. Finally, some practical suggestions on how to cope with the most common sampling errors are provided, in order to help researchers obtain reliable histomorphometrical data on peripheral nerve fibers., (Copyright 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.)

Previous morphological and morphometrical studies showed that fresh-skeletal-muscle-enriched vein segments are good conduits for leading peripheral nerve regeneration. In the present study, we investigated the morphological features of peripheral nerve fibers regenerated along a 10-mm-long biodegradable poly (DLLA-epsilon-CL) nerve guide enriched with fresh skeletal muscle, comparing them to nerve fiber regeneration along 10-mm-long phosphate-buffered saline (PBS)-enriched poly (DLLA-epsilon-CL) tubes. Repaired nerves were analyzed at weeks 6 and 24 postoperatively. Structural and ultrastructural observation showed that good nerve fiber regeneration occurred in both PBS-enriched and fresh-skeletal-muscle-enriched nerve guides, and histomorphometrical analysis of regenerated myelinated fibers revealed no statistically significant differences between the two experimental groups at week 24 after surgery. The employment of fresh-muscle-enriched conduits for the repair of nerve defects is critically discussed in the light of these results., (Copyright 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc. MICROSURGERY 23:338-345 2003)

The aim of this study was to compare functional peripheral nerve recovery in the rat sciatic nerve model after reconstruction of a 10-mm gap with a biodegradable poly (DLLA-epsilon-CL) nerve guide, as filled with either fresh skeletal muscle or phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). During 24 weeks of recovery, motor and sensory functional evaluation was tested by extensor postural thrust (EPT) and withdrawal reflex latency (WRL), respectively. At the end of the experiment, anesthetized animals were prepared for motor nerve conduction velocity (MNCV) studies, followed by gastrocnemius and soleus muscle weight measurement. Motor functional recovery was greater in the muscle-grafted group, and reached a significant difference from weeks 8-12 (P < 0.05). The results of this investigation suggest that filling a nerve guide with fresh skeletal muscle induces faster maturation of regenerated nerve fibers in comparison with traditional tubular repair., (Copyright 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc. MICROSURGERY 23:346-353 2003)