Correlation Between the Clinical and Histopathological Results in Experimental Sciatic Nerve Defect Surgery

Background and Objectives: Peripheral nerve defect regeneration is subject to ongoing research regarding the use of conduits associated with various cells or molecules. This article aims to correlate histopathological and clinical outcomes at the end of a 12-week experiment performed on a rat sciatic nerve model and show which repair method has the best results. Materials and Methods: Forty male Wistar rats were divided into four groups to compare the results of four different methods of reconstruction for sciatic nerve defect: (1) nerve graft-control group, (2) empty aortic conduit, (3) aortic conduit filled with platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and (4) aortic conduit filled with mesenchymal stem cells. There were three clinical examinations: a sensitivity test, a mobility test and a footprint test. After 12 weeks, the nerves were excised and assessed microscopically using conventional Hematoxylin and Eosin staining (HE), special stains and immunohistochemistry (IHC). Results: Nerve regeneration was observed in all batches, both from the clinical and histopathological assessment; the two types of examinations correlated for each batch. Immunohistochemistry and special staining offered a more complete image of the nerve regeneration results. Conclusions: Superior nerve regeneration was achieved using an aortic conduit in combination with either PRP or stem cells, while the empty aortic conduit recorded lesser results.