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Thermal changes in a rabbit ear model after sympathectomy.

R F Morgan, E F Wilgis

The Journal of Hand Surgery

|January 1, 1986

Summary

Long-term studies show sympathectomy in rabbit ears led to sustained higher skin temperatures. However, sympathetic reinnervation of blood vessels remained minimal even after 12 months, indicating lasting thermal effects.

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Area of Science:

Vascular Surgery
Autonomic Nervous System Research
Experimental Medicine

Background:

Distal sympathectomy is a surgical procedure to interrupt sympathetic nerve supply.
Understanding long-term thermal effects and nerve regeneration after sympathectomy is crucial for clinical applications.
Previous studies have focused on short-term outcomes, leaving long-term vascular sympathetic reinnervation unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the long-term cutaneous thermal changes following distal sympathectomy in an experimental rabbit ear model.
To assess the degree of sympathetic reinnervation of vessels in the operated ear over time.
To correlate thermal changes with the extent of sympathetic nerve regeneration.

Main Methods:

A distal sympathectomy was performed on the central artery of rabbit ears under general anesthesia.
The contralateral ear served as a control for comparison.
Cutaneous temperatures were recorded using a dual-channel digital thermometer.
Sympathetic reinnervation was evaluated using catecholamine histofluorescence in euthanized animals.

Main Results:

A statistically significant mean temperature difference of 1.2°C (P < 0.01) was observed 12 months post-surgery.
All sympathectomized ears consistently maintained higher temperatures compared to their control counterparts.
Arterial sympathetic reinnervation was sparse and inconsistent at 3 months, with no significant increase observed at 12 months.

Conclusions:

Distal sympathectomy in rabbits results in sustained elevation of cutaneous temperature in the long term.
The sympathetic reinnervation of arterial vessels after this procedure is limited and does not significantly recover within 12 months.
These findings suggest that the observed thermal changes are likely due to incomplete sympathetic reinnervation post-sympathectomy.

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