Comparative study of microepineural suture, microepineural suture-aided CO2 laser, and laser only anastomoses in rat sciatic nerves.

The cut sciatic nerves of 33 rats were anastomosed by three different methods under the operation microscope; microepineural suture technique, CO2 laser technique, and laser-aided microepineural suture technique. On histologic examination at the end of 3 months postoperatively, in the CO2 laser and suture-aided CO2 laser groups, the degrees of inflammation, fibrosis, and Schwann cell vacuolar degeneration were significantly higher than in the microepineural suture anastomosis group. At the end of 3 months sciatic nerve function was absent in 3 of 11 rats anastomosed by only CO2 laser, however, sciatic nerve functions were found to be normal in the other two groups.