[Experimental microsurgical suturing of peripheral nerves]

It was demonstrated in experiments on 8 rhesus monkeys with suturation of 16 nerves that the relative number of regenerated myelinated fibers was 83.2-96.4% of the initial number in application of sutures with the use of microsurgical techniques and 73.8-81.5% in application of sutures without an operating microscope. The average number of regenerated nonmyelated fibers was 74.3-95.6% of the initial number in the first case and 62.2-77.4% in the second case. In all experiments the mean values of the corresponding indices had no statistically significant differences whatever the method of suture application. A 8/0 supramide thread passed atraumatically through the perineurium induced neither an active cellular reaction in the tissues nor changes in the nerve fibres.