Reinnervation after nerve suture in rat groin flaps

Regeneration of sensory and adrenergic nerves in the skin was studied in rats. The aim was to investigate the effect of reanastomosing the cut nerve ends of the nerve trunk leading to the microvascular groin flap. Reinnervation was demonstrated immunohistochemically using calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) as marker for sensory nerves, neuropeptide Y (NPY) and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) as markers for adrenergic nerves and Protein Gene Product 9.5 (PGP 9.5) as general neuronal marker. It was demonstrated that reanastomosing of the nerve trunk was favourable for both the sensory and sympathetic reinnervation of microsurgical flaps.