Cryopreserved muscle basal lamina grafts retain their grafting potential for nerve repair

The development of alternatives to nerve autografts for nerve repair remains a goal of surgeons. Muscle basal lamina grafts have a potential use as bioprostheses, but it is not known whether such grafts retain their ability to support axonal regeneration following storage. In this study, we examined the effect of cryopreservation on the ability of muscle basal lamina grafts to repair nerve lesions. Basal lamina grafts were prepared and cryopreserved for different times and at different temperatures. Their grafting potential was evaluated by examining axonal regeneration after autografting to lesions in rat sciatic nerves. Muscle basal lamina grafts cryopreserved for up to 30 weeks at -20 and -40 degreesC were successfully used. There were no significant differences in the parameters of axonal regeneration between cryopreserved and non-cryopreserved grafts. In conclusion, muscle basal lamina autografts retain their potential usefulness for nerve repair after cryopreservation, providing a basis for the development of a bioprostheses from muscle basal lamina. (C) 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.