Prevention of denervated muscle atrophy with accelerated nerve‐regeneration by babysitter procedure in rat facial nerve paralysis model

Purpose The “babysitter” procedure is a reconstruction technique for facial nerve complete paralysis and uses the movement source from the healthy facial nerve with a cross‐nerve graft. First, an end‐to‐side neurorrhaphy is performed between the affected facial nerve trunk and hypoglossal nerve for...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Microsurgery 2021-01, Vol.41 (1), p.61-69
Main Authors: Hashimoto, Kazuki, Matsumine, Hajime, Osaki, Hironobu, Ueta, Yoshifumi, Kamei, Wataru, Shimizu, Mari, Fujii, Kaori, Niimi, Yosuke, Miyata, Mariko, Sakurai, Hiroyuki
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Action potential
Atrophy
Denervation
Facial nerve
Grafting
Grafts
Hypoglossal nerve
Innervation
Muscles
Myelin
Nervous tissues
Neural cell transplants
Paralysis
Regeneration
Surgery
Tracers
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Summary:Purpose The “babysitter” procedure is a reconstruction technique for facial nerve complete paralysis and uses the movement source from the healthy facial nerve with a cross‐nerve graft. First, an end‐to‐side neurorrhaphy is performed between the affected facial nerve trunk and hypoglossal nerve for continuously delivering stimuli to the mimetic muscles for preventing the atrophy of mimetic muscles. Despite favorable clinical results, histological and physiological mechanisms remain unknown. This study attempted to establish a model for the “babysitter” procedure and find its efficacy in rats with facial nerve complete paralysis. Materials and Methods A total of 16 Lewis rats were used and divided into 2 groups; cross nerve graft (n = 8) and babysitter groups (n = 8). The facial nerve trunk was transected in both groups. Babysitter group underwent a two‐stage procedure. Cross nerve graft group underwent only the transfer of nerve graft from the healthy side to affected side. The animals were assessed physiologically by compound muscle action potential (CMAP), and the regenerated nerve tissues were evaluated histopathologically at 13 weeks after surgery. Results Facial nucleus stained with retrograde tracers proved the re‐innervation of affected facial muscle by the babysitter procedure. In CMAP, the amplitude of babysitter group was significantly higher than that of the cross‐facial nerve graft group (p 
ISSN:0738-1085
1098-2752
DOI:10.1002/micr.30580