Vascularized versus non-vascularized nerve transfers: histologic study in rats

From the clinical point of view, the state of vascularized nerve transfers is clearly demonstrated in the literature. This study was carried out to elicit the basic histologic differences between vascularized and non-vascularized nerve transfers in an animal experiment. In 46 rats, the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve was resected, and an interposition with a free (n=23) ischiatic nerve transfer on one side and a vascularized (n=23) ischiatic nerve transfer on the other side was carried out. Three months postoperatively, the rats were sacrificed and 45 nerve transfers and 46 contralateral reference specimen probes were histologically evaluated. A lower degree of nerve fibrosis and vesicular degeneration of the myelin sheath were found in the vascularized nerve transfers, compared to the free non-vascularized transfers. The thickness of the myelin sheaths was less in the free transfers. From a histologic point of view, a lower degree of degenerative changes was seen in the vascularized nerves after transfer.