Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 18, 2026
Transplantation of Olfactory Ensheathing Cells to Evaluate Functional Recovery after Peripheral Nerve Injury
Published on: February 24, 2014
Morphometric and functional results after CO(2) laser welding of nerve coaptations
W Happak1, C Neumayer, G Holak
1Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Medical School, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria. wolfgang.happak@akh-wien.ac.at
Background And Objective:
Several reports describe nerve coaptations by laser welding in combination with stay sutures and bonding material. This study was undertaken to obtain functional and morphologic information by using a nerve coaptation technique by epineurial CO(2) laser welding only.
Study Design/Materials And Methods:
The sciatic nerves of 24 rats were transected and epineurially coapted with the CO(2) laser at 60 mW or with microsutures as a control. Walking track analysis were carried out to evaluate the functional recovery, and the nerves were harvested for histology after 6 months of regeneration.
Results:
None of the 24 nerves showed dehiscence of the coaptations, and all showed good nerve fiber regeneration. Better results were obtained for the functional evaluation of the sciatic function index (P < 0.02) and the toe spread index (P < 0.04) from the laser nerve coaptations. Likewise, the morphologic evaluations of the fiber density (P < 0.04) and area fraction (P < 0.002) were better in the laser group.
Conclusion:
CO(2) laser welded nerve coaptations are as successful as their sutured counterparts and may become a promising alternative in clinical practice.
