End to End Sciatic Nerve Repair at Different Angles of Attachment: in Albino Rat Experimental Model

Background: Peripheral nerve injuries pose a significant challenge in clinical practice, often leading to severe functional impairments a reduced quality of life for affected individuals. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of two surgical repair techniques (90-degree and 45-degree) on neuronal count regenerative indices in the sciatic nerve of albino rats. Methods: Eight albino rats were used and divided into two groups according to the surgical technique applied, in group I (right sciatic nerve), the sciatic nerve was transected and repaired at a 90/90-degree angle, in group II (left sciatic nerve), the sciatic nerve was transected and repaired at a 45/135-degree angle. After the nerve was repaired, neuronal counts were evaluated at distal and proximal segments. Regenerative indices were calculated to compare the regenerative potential of each surgical approach. Results: The right sciatic nerve (90-degree repair) at the distal segment had a mean neuronal count of 140.38 neurons/hpf. The left sciatic nerve (45-degree repair) demonstrated a significantly higher mean neuronal count of 291.63 neurons/hpf. At the proximal site, there was a mean of 223.13 neurons per HPF in right sciatic nerves versus 336.38 neurons per HPF in left sciatic nerves. The regenerative index was also higher in the 45-degree repair group, with mean values of 19.63 and 28.63, both statistically significant compared to the distal (15.25) and proximal (22.88) segment of the nerves in the 90-degree group. Conclusions: The 45-degree oblique repair technique demonstrates higher neuronal counts and regenerative indices compared to conventional 90-degree methods of sciatic nerve repair.