Nerve wrapping with vein grafts in a rat model: A safe technique for the treatment of recurrent chronic compressive neuropathy

The surgical outcome in recurrent chronic nerve compression remains unsatisfactory. Clinically it has been reported that vein grafts can be used to wrap the nerve, following nerve decompression, to improve the functional recovery of the nerve. In order to determine the safety and feasibility of the technique of vein wrapping of nerve, this study assessed the effect of vein-graft wrapping around normal nerve. In each of 30 rats, a segment of femoral vein was wrapped around the sciatic nerve. Functional, electrophysiologic, and histologic testing was performed at 9, 12 and 15 weeks postoperatively, and the results showed no significant differences between the experimental and control groups. Neither scar tissue between the nerve and the vein graft, nor demyelinization or degeneration of the nerve fibers were identified histologically. The study demonstrated that autogenous vein-graft wrapping did not result in any pathologic nerve entrapment. The technique of vein wrapping of nerve appears to be safe, feasible, and reliable. The results supported further study for the use of vein-graft wrapping in the surgical management of recurrent chronic nerve compression.