A study on the critical mobilization length of peripheral nerves

The transverse section of the sciatic, tibial and peroneal nerves in rabbits was followed by mobilization in a proximal and distal direction and a tension-free end-to-end suture of the cut surfaces. The proximal mobilization was performed up to eight different levels between 60 mm and 200 mm, i. e. 20.3% to 67.7% of the total nerve length. Histological findings and their statistical analysis indicated that the critical mobilization length, beyond which ischaemic parenchymal damages occur, is 70 mm or 24% of the total nerve length. Up to this level, the vascular "extrinsic system" of the mobilized nerve segments is completely compensated for by the "intrinsic system". When the mobilization length is increased, the degeneration distances were more pronounced than those of the ischaemic nerve distances. Some nerves showed no effects from the ischaemia.