The peripheral nerve group of the reparative and reconstructive surgery committee (branch of Chinese association of rehabilitation medicine) was established in 1995. Major research progress has been made in the repair, regeneration, and reconstruction of peripheral nerve injury. Professor GU Yudong initiated the contralateral cervical7 root (CC7) transfer for the treatment of total brachial plexus root injury in 1986. Now this method has been applied safely and effectively for 30 years with profound progress and refinement. In addition, the repair and reconstruction of peripheral nerve injury had achieved great development such as the treatment of spastic paralysis of upper limb, CC7 transfer using a modified prespinal route, the reconstruction of bladder function after spinal cord injury, the development of acellular allograft nerve, the small gap suture technique, the functioning free gracilis muscle transplantation, and contralateral S1 transfer which have been widely used in clinical application with good outcomes. With the progress of the biological manufacturing of peripheral nerve bio-materials and the remodeling of central nervous system after brachial plexus injury, a novel peripheral neuroscience research field was growing up. It is still a challenge for surgeons and scholars in this field to insist on the popularization and improvement of peripheral nerve repair and reconstruction by microsurgical technique, and to make efforts to transform the results of peripheral nerve research into clinical practice.
Objective To discuss peripheral nerve regeneration under immunosuppression. Methods Current research trends about relationship between peripheral nerve injury and immunoreaction, the experimental result of nerve regeneration after using various immunosuppressors, and the clinical findings after human allogenous hand transplantation were extensively reviewed. Results Peripheral nerve regeneration was accelerated under immunosuppression. Conclusion Peripheral nerve injury may induce immunoreaction, which inhibit nerve regeneration and function recovery.
OBJECTIVE: To study the psychology and its management during the process of hand allograft. METHODS: One psychologist participated through the whole process of the present hand allograft. 12 potential candidates of hand transplant were interviewed during the selection of patients to evaluate the state of psychiatry and their abilities to manage stressors like cooperation with medical workers and medical interventions, waiting for donors, adaptation to a new hand and post operation depression. The psychological state of 11 patients were believed to be able to receive hand transplant, and they are further prepared psychologically by the psychologist while waiting for a donor. Two lucky candidates were decided by tissue typing and received hand allograft simultaneously. After the operation, the two patients psychotherapy assisted with effective analgesia, supporting from family and environmental improvement. RESULTS: One out of 12 patients was found not suitable for the transplantation because of psychiatric problem. One week postoperation, the 2 patients were anxious, lack of patience, and horrified at seeing the long-expected grafted hand. After 1 week of treatments and adapation the patients managed to settle with the new hand, and accepted the hand as a whole 1 month postoperation. With the recovery of the hand sensation and motion 4 to 5 months postoperation, the patients held the hand as his own. CONCLUSION: Psychologists are required in the hand transplantation team during the pre-transplant selection of patients and post-transplant rehabilitation.
Objective To evaluate the value of MRI in diagnosis of obstetrical brachial plexus palsy pre-gangl ionic injury. Methods From November 2006 to February 2008, 10 patients with obstetrical brachial plexus palsy were treated, 8 males and 2 females, aged from 2 months to 3 years (11.4 months on average). There were 7 cases of left side and 3 of right side.According to Tassin classification, 2 cases were type II, 6 type III and 2 type IV. All patients were performed MRI examinations before the operation, whose results were compared with those of exploration during the operation. Results MRI examinations showed 1 patient was normal and 9 patients had post-traumatic spinalmeningolcele. The 6 patients had displacement of spinal cord (4 towards the healthy side and 2 towards the sick side), 6 had deformity of spinal cord, and 2 had avulsed nerve root thickening. MRI detected 19 nerve roots were positive, 16 were true positive and 3 false positive in surgical exploration. MRI detected 6 nerve roots were negative, 4 were true negative and 2 false negative in surgical exploration. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of MRI in diagnosis of obstetrical brachial plexus palsy pre-gangl ionic injury were 84.2%, 80.0% and 83.3%, respectively. There were significant differences in the results by preoperative MRI examinations and by exploration during the operation (P lt; 0.05). Conclusion MRI can show pre-gangl ionic injury of brachial plexus of the patients with obstetrical brachial plexus palsy and can supply references for early diagnosis and operation time. MRI can be routinely conducted as a preoperative examination.
Objective To investigate the feasibility of establishing the visualization models of intraneural microvessels of sciatic nerves in Sprague Dawley (SD) rats by systemic infusion of Evan’s blue (EB) or lead oxide and to compare the advantages and disadvantages. Methods Fifteen healthy adult SD rats of either gender, weighing 200-250 g, were randomly divided into traditional group (group A, n=5), fluorescence group (group B, n=5), and radiography group (group C, n=5). Ink, EB, and lead oxide, all mixed with gelatin solution, were injected in groups A, B, and C, respectively. After 2 hours of cryopreservation under 4°C, all sciatic nerves were harvested and observed through stereomicroscope to make sure the filling condition. The two-dimentional (2D) images were then collected via reflexion fluorescent microscope in group B and via micro-CT scan in group C. All images were imported into computer to establish three-dimentional (3D) reconstruction models by Mimics 15.0. Results All groups could show the outline of intraneural microvessels of sciatic nerves under stereomicroscope. Diameters of them were measured under fluorescent microscope, ranging from 10 µm to 30 µm. Both groups B and C could establish 3D reconstruction models from 2D images. These models could clearly reproduce the structure of microvessels. Conclusion Both EB and lead oxide can be used to establish 3D reconstruction models to observe structure of the intraneural vessels. However, EB has some disadvantages, such as predisposition to infiltration, grainy 2D images and time-consuming procedure; it is not suitable for researches of large specimen. Though 2D pictures from lead oxide have lower resolution than EB, it is easier to be manipulated and appropriate for experiments of large specimen.
【Abstract】 Objective To observe the distribution feature of nerve bundles in C7 nerve anterior and posterior division end. Methods The brachial plexus specimen was harvested from 1 fresh adult cadaver. After C7 nerve was confirmed, the distal end of anterior and posterior division was dissected and embedded by OCT. Then the samples were serially horizontally sliced with each 10 μm deep. After acetylcholinesterase (AChE) histochemical staining, the stain characteristics of different nerve fiber bundles were observed and amount of the nerve fiber bundles were counted under optic-microscope. At last, the imaging which were collected were three-dimensional (3-D) reconstructed by using Amira 4.1 software. Results There was no obvious difference in the stain between the anterior and posterior divisions. The running of the nerve fiber bundles were dispersive from proximal end of nerve to distal end of nerve. Nerve fiber bundles of anterior division were mainly sensor nerve fiber bundles, which located in medial side. Nerve fiber bundles of posterior division were mainly moter nerve fiber bundles, having no regularity in the distribution of nerve fiber bundles. The total number of nerve fiber bundles in distal end of anterior division was 7.85 ± 1.04, the number of motor nerve fiber bundles was 2.85 ± 0.36, and the number of sensor nerve fiber bundles was 5.13 ± 1.01. The total number of nerve fiber bundles in distal end of posterior division was 9.79 ± 1.53, the number of motor nerve fiber bundles was 6.00 ± 0.69, and the number of sensor nerve fiber bundles was 3.78 ± 0.94. There were significant differences in the numbers of motor and sensor nerve fiber bundles between anterior and posterior divisions (P lt; 0.05). The microstructure 3-D model was reconstructed based on serial slice through Amira 4.1. The intercross and recombination process of nerves bundles could be observed obviously. The nerve bundle distribution showed cross and combination. Conclusion Nerve fiber bundles of anterior division are mainly sensor nerve fiber bundles and locate in medial side. Nerve fiber bundles of posterior division are mainly motor nerve fiber bundles, which has no regularity in the distribution of nerve fiber bundles. The 3-D reconstruction can display the internal structure feature of the C7 division end.
Objective To observe the systemic and local immune response after repair of nerve defect with acellular nerve xenograft laden with allogenic adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) in rhesus monkey so as to evaluate the safety of the proposed material for nerve reconstruction. Methods Bilateral tibial nerves were taken from a healthy adult male landrace (weighing 48 kg) to prepare acellular nerve xenograft by chemical extraction. ADSCs were isolated from a healthy adult male rhesus monkey (weighing 4.5 kg), and were seeded into the acellular nerve grafts. The radial nerve defect models with 25 mm in length were established in 10 healthy adult female rhesus monkeys (weighing 3-5 kg), and they were divided into cell-laden group (n=5) and non-cell-laden group (n=5) randomly. Defect was repaired with acellular nerve xenograft laden with allogenic ADSCs in cell-laden group, with acellular nerve xenograft only in non-cell-laden group. The blood samples were taken from peripheral vein preoperatively and at 14, 60, and 90 days after operation for lymphocyte analysis; at 5 months after operation, the grafts were harvested to perform histological examination for local immune response and nerve regeneration. The nerve autograft in rhesus monkey was used as control. Results In cell-laden group and non-cell-laden group, no significant difference was found in the count of lymphocytes and T lymphocytes, the percentage of T lymphocytes, CD8+ T lymphocytes, as well as the ratio of CD4+ T lymphocytes to CD8+ T lymphocytes between pre- and post-operation (P gt; 0.05); in cell-laden group, the percentage of CD4+ T lymphocytes at 14 days was significantly lower than that at 60 and 90 days postoperatively (P lt; 0.05). The percentage of CD4+ T lymphocytes in cell-laden group was significantly lower than that in non-cell-laden group at 14 days (P lt; 0.05), but no significant difference was found in the other indexes at the other time between 2 groups (P gt; 0.05). At 5 months after operation, mild adhesion was found on the surface of nerve xenografts; the epineurium of nerve xenografts was thicker than that of nerve autografts; and neither necrosis nor fibrosis was found. CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, CD68+, and CD163+ T lymphocytes were scattered within the grafts, in which regenerative axons were revealed. CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, CD68+, and CD163+ T lymphocytes were comparable in cell-laden group, non-cell-laden group, and autograft group. Conclusion Repair of nerve defect with acellular nerve xenograft elicits neither systemic nor local immune response in rhesus monkeys. Implantation of allogenic ADSCs might result in transient depression of CD4+ T lymphocytes proliferation early after surgery, no immune response can be found.
【Abstract】 Objective To report cl inical experience in the use of temporary intravascular shunts (TIVS) for quickrestoration of perfusion to the extremity with major vascular injury. Methods Between August 2009 and March 2011, TIVSwas applied temporarily to restore blood perfusion to the extremity in 6 patients with major extremity vascular structure injury secondary to trauma (4 patients) or tumor resection (2 patients), who would received vascular transplantation and underwent long ischemia. The patterns of vascular shunts included external carotid artery-subclavian artery, axillary artery-axillary artery, axillary vein-subclavian vein, brachial artery-brachial artery, brachial vein-brachial vein, brachial artery-radial artery, femoral artery-popliteal artery, and popliteal artery-posterior tibial artery. After TIVS, extensive debridement, fracture fixation, or tumor excision was performed. Then the shunted tubes were removed, and the vessels were repaired definitly. Six vessels were repaired by transplanting the great saphenous veins; one vessel was anastomosed directly without tension; and one vessel was repaired by artificial vascular graft. Results All shunted tubes were successfully established within 5 to 10 minutes (mean, 8.2 minutes). The duration of bypass ranged from 67 to 210 minutes. After establishment of TIVS, blood perfusion to the affected limb was improved. When shunted tubes were removed, thrombosis and partial obstruction occurred in one who accepted amputation, and the others kept patency. No loosening of tubes and haemorrhage occurred. At 2-15 months of follow-up, affected limbs had good blood supply. Conclusion TIVS is rapid and simple, which can quickly restore blood perfusion to the extremity with major vascular injury and shorten the ischemic time of the affected extremity.