Introduction/Objective. Peripheral nerve lesions are frequent occurrences in
both human and animal, leading to the emotional burden of disturbed facial
expression and functional problems that have an impact on numerous
activities of daily living. This study aimed to investigate the nerve
conduction velocity in newly created axons and the efficacy of locally
applied platelet-rich plasma on the recovery of facial nerve functions after
surgical transection and repairment. Methods. The study was conducted in
three phases, over a period of six weeks, on 24 male chinchillas, weighing
2.5-3 kg and aged between three and four months. Depending on nerve
repairment type, rabbits were assigned into four groups: group I (suture),
group II (suture and fibrin sealant), group III (suture and platelet-rich
plasma) and group IV (suture, fibrin sealant and platelet-rich plasma).
Results. Most successful regeneration of the facial nerve after six weeks of
nerve repair was achieved in groups III and IV in which, in addition to
neurosuture, the nerve was treated with platelet-rich plasma, with or
without the use of fibrin sealant (which had no role in the regeneration
process), (? = 0.05). The movements of the auricle followed the process of
nerve recovery, and the number of newly created axons was directly
proportional to the nerve conduction velocity (p < 0.05). Conclusion. Local
application of platelet-rich plasma can accelerate the functional recovery
of the facial nerve. Available growth factors and bioactive proteins present
in platelet-rich plasma may have clinical implications for surgical
treatment of patients after facial nerve injury.