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Nerve Regeneration: Is There an Alternative to Nervous Graft?
Rodrigo Guerra Sabongi, MD; Luiz Augusto Lucas Martins De Rizzo, MD; Marcela Fernandes, PhD, MD; Sandra Valente, PhD; João Baptista Gomes dos Santos, PhD, MD; Flavio Faloppa, PhD, MD; Vilnei Mattioli Leite, PhD, MD
Federal University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil

Introduction: In nerve injury with nervous gap, no restitution method was found better than the autograft, however, it has the disadvantage of damaging a normal nerve to be used as a graft. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is a possible filler material for vein grafts used as conduits for nerve regeneration, preventing its collapse and providing growth factors and osteoconductive proteins.
Materials & Methods: Isogenic rats were randomly divided into 3 groups. They received nerve autografts, PRP-containing vein grafts or a sham operation. Outcomes were evaluated by the sciatic functional index (SFI), morphometric and morphologic analyses of the nerve distal to the lesion, and the number of spinal cord motoneurons positive for retrograde Fluoro-Gold® tracer.
Results: The PRP and GRF groups had lower SFI values than the control animals throughout the postoperative period. The SFI was significantly higher in the PRP group than the GRF group at 90 days postoperatively (P=0.011). Fiber diameter and number of motoneurons were significantly decreased in both the PRP and GRF groups, compared with control.
Conclusion: PRP within a vein conduit may be an effective alternative or adjuvant to nerve autograft, the current preferred treatment for nerve injury with a nerve gap, and further investigations are required to more fully define the role of PRP in nerve regeneration.

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