Prevention of peripheral nerve entrapment following extensive soft tissue injury, using silicone cuffing: an experimental study.

A semirigid silicone cuff was investigated in rats to prevent scar entrapment of the sciatic nerve. Scar was induced by crushing or burning the surrounding muscles. On one side, the nerve was covered by a longitudinally split semirigid silicone tube. On the other side, the same procedure was done without silicone coverage of the nerve. At different time periods the animals were sacrificed and the nerve with surrounding tissues examined. The protected nerve was found gliding freely during mobilization of the limb. The blood supply to the nerve was maintained through the split in the silastic cuff by formation of new mesoneurium. On the control side, the nerve was surrounded by a fibrous tissue in various stages of maturation depending upon the time postinjury. The nerve structure showed reduced vascularity and progressive degenerative changes of the axons. Clinical tests on the silicone cuff method are proposed fo selected patients with extensive soft tissue injury around nerves.