[Nerve grafts. Experimental study. Importance of number of suture points (author's transl)]

An experimental study about 36 nervous grafts on laboratory rats is reported. This study emphasizes the interest of microsurgical technique and, further more, the role of the number of stitches improving the results of each anastomosis and, thus, the quality of neural regeneration. In each animal, after sectioning tibial nerve, a graft (sciatic nerve same side) is interposed and sutured in three different ways; in a first lot of animals 6 stitches at the level of each anastomosis; in a 2nd lot: 2 stitches and in a 3d one a single stitch. The animals are tested at the end of the 20th week, with an electrophysiological control before being sacrified. The pathological controls take in account the number of regenerated nervous fibers below the graft. Our study confirm the superiority of results in the 6 stitches lot. The authors emphasize the role played by a watertight suture to prevent an anarchic growth of regenerating axones outside the graft.