Endoneural and epineural blood flow evaluation with free vascularized and conventional nerve grafts in the canine.

Blood flow distribution in conventional and vascularized canine nerve grafts was analyzed. Between 4 and 6 days after operation, blood flow at both the fascicular (endoneural) and the nerve-sheath (epineural) levels was significantly greater in the nonvascularized nerve grafts than in their vascularized counterparts (P less than 0.025 and P less than 0.001, respectively). The superior flow rates of the conventional grafts illustrate the efficiency of nerve revascularization, even to the fascicular level. This finding does not support a possible endoneural vascular advantage of vascularized nerve graft and suggests the need for further analysis of the role of vascularized nerve grafting.