Purpose To determine whether transfer of a primarily motor nerve (Femoral, F) to the anterior vesicle branch of the pelvic nerve (PN) allows more effective bladder reinnervation than a primarily sensory nerve (genitofemoral, GF). Methods Forty-one female mongrel hounds underwent bladder decentralization, decentralization and then bilateral nerve transfer (GFNT and FNT) or were sham/unoperated controls. Decentralization was achieved by bilateral transection of all sacral roots that induce bladder contractions upon electrical stimulation. The retrograde neuronal labeling dye fluorogold was injected into the bladder 3 weeks prior to euthanasia. Results Increased detrusor pressure after direct stimulation of the transferred nerve, lumbar spinal cord or spinal roots was observed in 12/17 GFNT dogs (mean detrusor pressure = 7.6±1.4 cmH2O) and in 9/10 FNT-V dogs (mean detrusor pressure = 11.7±3.1 cm H2O). The mean detrusor pressures after direct electrical stimulation of transferred femoral nerves were statistically significantly greater than after stimulation of the transferred genitofemoral nerves. Retrogradely labeled neurons from the bladder observed in upper lumbar cord segments after GFNT and FNT confirmed bladder reinnervation as did labeled axons at the nerve transfer site. Conclusions While transfer of either a mixed sensory and motor nerve (GFN) or a primarily motor nerve (FN) can reinnervate the bladder, using a primarily motor nerve provides greater return of nerve-evoked detrusor contraction. This surgical approach may be useful for patients with lower motor spinal cord injury to accomplish bladder emptying.

Many studies examining the innervation of genitourinary structures focus on either afferent or efferent inputs, or on only one structure of the system. We aimed to clarify innervation of the bladder, external urethral sphincter (EUS) and clitoris. Retrograde dyes were injected into each end organ in female dogs. Spinal cord, mid-bladder, and spinal, caudal mesenteric, sympathetic trunk and pelvic plexus ganglia were examined for retrograde dye-labeled neurons. Neurons retrogradely labeled from the bladder were found primarily in L7-S2 spinal ganglia, spinal cord lateral zona intermedia at S1-S3 levels, caudal mesenteric ganglia, T11-L2 and L6-S2 sympathetic trunk ganglia, and pelvic plexus ganglia. The mid-bladder wall contained many intramural ganglia neurons labeled anterogradely from the pelvic nerve, and intramural ganglia retrogradely labeled from dye labeling sites surrounding ureteral orifices. Neurons retrogradely labeled from the clitoris were found only in L7 and S1 spinal ganglia, L7-S3 spinal cord lateral zona intermedia, and S1 sympathetic trunk ganglia, and caudal mesenteric ganglia. Neurons retrogradely labeled from the EUS were found in primarily at S1 and S2 spinal ganglia, spinal cord lamina IX at S1-S3, caudal mesenteric ganglia, and S1-S2 sympathetic trunk ganglia. Thus, direct inputs from the spinal cord to each end organ were identified, as well as multisynaptic circuits involving several ganglia, including intramural ganglia in the bladder wall. Knowledge of this complex circuitry of afferent and efferent inputs to genitourinary structures is necessary to understand and treat genitourinary dysfunction. Anat Rec, 2018. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

During the past century, diverse studies have focused on the development of surgical strategies to restore function of a decentralized bladder after spinal cord or spinal root injury via repair of the original roots or by transferring new axonal sources. The techniques included end-to-end sacral root repairs, transfer of roots from other spinal segments to sacral roots, transfer of intercostal nerves to sacral roots, transfer of various somatic nerves to the pelvic or pudendal nerve, direct reinnervation of the detrusor muscle, or creation of an artificial reflex pathway between the skin and the bladder via the central nervous system. All of these surgical techniques have demonstrated specific strengths and limitations. The findings made to date already indicate appropriate patient populations for each procedure, but a comprehensive assessment of the effectiveness of each technique to restore urinary function after bladder decentralization is required to guide future research and potential clinical application.

Aims Complete spinal cord injury does not block perceptual responses or inferior solitary nucleus activation after genital self-stimulation, even though the vagus is not thought to innervate pelvic structures. We tested if vagus nerve endings sprout after bladder decentralization to innervate genitourinary structures in canines with decentralized bladders. Methods Four reinnervation surgeries were performed in female hounds: bilateral genitofemoral nerve transfer to pelvic nerve with vesicostomy (GNF-V) or without (GFN-NV); and left femoral nerve transfer (FNT-V and FNT-NV). After 8 months, retrograde dyes were injected into genitourinary structures. Three weeks later, at euthanasia, reinnervation was evaluated as increased detrusor pressure induced by functional electrical stimulation (FES). Controls included un-operated, sham-operated, and decentralized animals. Results Increased detrusor pressure was seen in 8/12 GFNT-V, 4/5 GFNT-NV, 5/5 FNT-V and 4/5 FNT-NV animals after FES, but not decentralized controls. Lumbar cord segments contained cells labeled from the bladder in all nerve transfer animals with FES-induced increased detrusor pressure. Nodose ganglia cells labeled from the bladder were observed in 5/7 nerve transfer animals (1/2 GNT-NV; 4/5 FNT-V), and from the clitoris were in 6/7 nerve transfer animals (2/2 GFNT-NV; 4/5 FNT-V). Dorsal motor nucleus vagus cells labeled from the bladder were observed in 3/5 nerve transfer animals (1/2 GFNT-NV; 2/3 FNT-V), and from the clitoris in 4/5 nerve transfer animals (1/2 GFNT-NV; 3/3 FNT-V). Controls lacked this labeling. Conclusions Evidence of vagal nerve sprouting to the bladder and clitoris was observed in canines with lower motoneuron lesioned bladders.

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