Restoration of neuronal functions by outgrowths regenerating at ~1mm/d from the proximal stumps of severed peripheral nerves takes many weeks or months, if it occurs at all, especially after ablation of nerve segments. Distal segments of severed axons typically degenerate in 1–3 days. The purpose of this study was to show that Wallerian degeneration could be prevented or retarded and lost behavioral function restored following ablation of 0.5 – 1 cm segments of rat sciatic nerves in host animals. This is achieved using 0.8 – 1.1cm microsutured donor allografts treated with bioengineered solutions varying in ionic and polyethylene glycol (PEG) concentrations (modified PEG-fusion procedure), being careful not to stretch any portion of donor or host sciatic nerves. Our data show that PEG-fusion permanently restores axonal continuity within minutes as initially assessed by action potential conduction and intracellular diffusion of dye. Behavioral functions mediated by the sciatic nerve are largely restored within 2 – 4 wk as measured by the Sciatic Functional Index (SFI). Increased restoration of sciatic behavioral functions after ablating 0.5 – 1 cm segments is associated with greater numbers of viable myelinated axons within, and distal to, PEG-fused allografts. Many such viable myelinated axons are almost-certainly spared from Wallerian degeneration by PEG-fusion. PEG-fusion of donor allografts may produce a paradigm-shift in the treatment of peripheral nerve injuries.

Diagnosis and management of peripheral nerve injury is complicated by the inability to assess microstructural features of injured nerve fibers via clinical examination and electrophysiology. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) has been shown to accurately detect nerve injury and regeneration in crush models of peripheral nerve injury, but no prior studies have been conducted on nerve transection, a surgical emergency that can lead to permanent weakness or paralysis. Acute sciatic nerve injuries were performed microsurgically to produce multiple grades of nerve transection in rats that were harvested 1 hour after surgery. High-resolution diffusion tensor images from ex vivo sciatic nerves were obtained using diffusion-weighted spin-echo acquisitions at 4.7 T. Fractional anisotropy was significantly reduced at the injury sites of transected rats compared with sham rats. Additionally, minor eigenvalues and radial diffusivity were profoundly elevated at all injury sites and were negatively correlated to the degree of injury. Diffusion tensor tractography showed discontinuities at all injury sites and significantly reduced continuous tract counts. These findings demonstrate that high-resolution DTI is a promising tool for acute diagnosis and grading of traumatic peripheral nerve injuries.

In this study, PIVA demonstrated a greater sensitivity for detecting acute hemorrhage, return to euvolemia, and iatrogenic fluid overload compared with standard monitoring and SI. PIVA may provide a low-cost, minimally invasive monitoring solution for monitoring and resuscitating patients with perioperative hemorrhage.