The post-injury changes that occur in transected foetal nerves; an experimental study in the rat

The findings of this experimental foetal rat study have shown that transection of the peripheral branches of the maxillary and facial nerves on the 18th day of gestation is followed by axonal degeneration and regeneration. Although these processes are similar to those which occur in the adult animal, they occur more rapidly in the foetus. In this study the regenerating axons had crossed the wound and entered the neural tubes of the distal nerve segments by 24 hours after injury.