Muscle graft as a substitute for peripheral nerve graft in rats.

PURPOSE To evaluate the applicability of the use of autogenous muscle treated in various ways, as a substitute of the nerve grafts. METHODS Rats were divided into seven groups that received, as a treatment for a standard nerve injury, the following types of grafts: fresh muscle, muscle fixed with 10% formaldehyde, muscle frozen in a freezer, muscle frozen in refrigerator, nerveless muscle, peripheral nerve and a group was without any treatment. It assessed the histological appearance of the nerve fibers in the segment repaired. RESULTS The evaluation of the segment nervous repaired showed nerve fibers through the graft in almost all groups, but the methodology employed has not adequately characterized the differences between the groups. CONCLUSION This study showed the migration of nerves fibers through all grafts used.