The effect of a silicone sheet on sciatic nerve healing in rats

BackgroundFibrosis occurs during the healing process after nerve injury. Extraneural fibrosis occurs around the epineural sheath. Intraneural fibrosis occurs in the internal structure of the nerve. Prophylactic treatment with silicone gel sheets is effective in preventing severe scarring in the skin. Nerve action potential (NAP) recording is a well established, simple, and useful tool in the surgical treatment of nerve damage. Our aim in this study was to determine the effect of a silicone sheet on biophysical and histopathologic parameters when used in the treatment of peripheral nerve transection (neurotmesis) and crush injuries.MethodsThe study was conducted with 32 Wistar albino male rats. The rats in the neurotmesis and crush injury groups were divided into study and control groups. Before the injury and after 12 weeks, electrophysiological measurements were obtained. The sciatic nerve biopsy specimens were histopathologically evaluated.ResultsAfter 12 weeks, there was no statistical difference between pre- and post-injury Delta PP values in the PNR+SS group (p = 0.123). There was no statistically significant difference in post-injury Delta PP values between the CI and CI+SS groups (p = 0.201). The mean total histopathological score was significantly higher in the PNR+SS group than in the PNR group (p = 0.023).ConclusionsIn this rat model, a silicone sheet appears to have positive effects on peripheral nerve healing after primer repair and crush injury.