A Comparative Study of Nerve Reconstruction Techniques in Phrenic Nerve Tranfer for Treatment of Brachial Plexus Root Avulsion Injuries

This experimental study investigated the effectiveness of three methods of neurorrhaphy, nerve grafting and nerve implantation in phrenic nerve transfer for treatment of brachial plexus root avulsion injuries. 180 Sprague-Dawley rats were used. The electrophysiological, histological and muscle functional evaluations were performed at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6-month postoperatively. Variable recovery in each group was found at different postoperative intervals. At six months after operation, the following results were observed in descending order of superiority: neurorrhaphy, nerve grafting, nerve implantation. Nerve implantation demonstrated a recovery of function of 75.76% and the characteristic electrical activity of the phrenic nerve might contribute to the motor endplate regeneration. Our experimental results will serve as the basis for our clinical practice.