Neurophysiological studies of autogenous sural nerve grafts

Sixteen autogenous sural nerve grafts used for ulnar and median injuries in the forearm have been studied neurophysiologically up to two and a half years after operation. Motor and sensory nerve conduction studies revealed a slow but sustained improvement during the follow-up period. By two years, motor conduction velocity across the graft itself reached in most cases 40 to 85% of the conduction velocity in the contralateral normal limb. Some reduction of motor conduction velocity was observed in the uninjured nerve proximal to the graft but this was less marked. Sensory nerve action potentials were obtained in 44% of nerves after 18 months although in all cases the amplitude of the potentials and in most cases their velocity, was greatly reduced.