Resumen

Introduction: One treatment option for acute nerve lesions is the placement of vascularized nerve grafts, which have demonstrated greater viability. Objective: A dual macroscopic and microscopic analysis was conducted on the vasculature of the principal lower limb nerves that are utilized as vascularized nerve grafts. Materials and methods: A descriptive, transverse, non-comparative study was performed to analyze the vasculature of the saphenous, sural, deep peroneal, and superficial peroneal nerves. Two approaches were taken: 1) study of the vasculature in situ and 2) morphometric analysis. Results: The in situ study demonstrated that the total length of the nerves of the lower limb used as grafts was, in descending order, the sural nerve (n) (ì = 29.26 cm, ± 4.05 cm); the superficial peroneal n (ì = 28.61 cm, ± 3.97 cm); the deep peroneal n (ì = 26.64 cm, ± 5.21 cm); and the saphenous n (ì = 25.12 cm, ± 4.42 cm). The morphometric study showed that the dominant artery of the saphenous n. had the greatest diameter, with a mean of 1.13 mm, followed by the superficial peroneal n. with a mean of 1.01 mm; the deep peroneal n., with a mean of 0.91 mm; and the sural n., with the smallest mean dominant artery diameter of 0.85 mm. Conclusions: The saphenous nerve presents adequate morphological characteristics for use as a vascularized graft; among the nerves included in this study, the deep peroneal n. represents the last option.

Palabras clave: Vascularized graft dominant artery peripheral nerve macroscopic analysis microscopic analysis.

2013-10-17   |   575 visitas   |   Evalua este artículo 0 valoraciones

Vol. 63 Núm.5. Septiembre-Octubre 2011 Pags. 461-466 Rev Invest Clin 2011; 63(5-ENGLISH)