Jump function following nerve division.

This paper presents the results of an experimental study of the conduction of nerve impulses across the suture line of freshly repaired nerves. The sciatic nerves of ten New Zealand white rabbits were divided and repaired using microsurgical techniques. The conduction impulses from a nerve stimulator across the repair was compared with the conduction before division. In 7 out of 10 nerves the impulse was successfully transmitted using a current comparable with that required before division. These findings provide an explanation for the fact that nerve function can sometimes be detected after trauma when the nerves are subsequently shown to have been transected. The implications are discussed.