The development of a normalization method for comparing nerve regeneration effectiveness among different graft types.

The inability to compare directly different nerve grafts has been a significant factor hindering the advance of nerve graft development. Due to the abundance of variables that exist in nerve graft construction and multiple assessment types, there has been limited success in comparing nerve graft effectiveness among experiments. Using mathematical techniques on nerve conduction velocity (NCV) autograft data, a normalization function was empirically derived that normalizes differences in gap lengths. Further analysis allowed for the development of the relative regeneration ratio (RRR). The RRR function allows researchers to directly compare nerve graft results based on the NCV data from their respective studies as long as the data was collected at the same post-operation time. This function also allows for comparisons between grafts tested at different gap lengths. Initial testing of this RRR function provided confidence that the function is accurate for a continuum of gap lengths and different nerve graft types.