A Novel Rodent Orthotopic Forelimb Transplantation Model That Allows for Reliable Assessment of Functional Recovery Resulting From Nerve Regeneration.

Improved nerve regeneration and functional outcomes would greatly enhance the utility of vascularized composite allotransplantation (VCA) such as hand and upper extremity transplantation. However, research aimed at achieving this goal has been limited by the lack of a functional VCA animal model. We have developed a novel rat midhumeral forelimb transplant model that allows for the characterization of upper extremity functional recovery following transplantation. At the final end point of 12 weeks, we found that animals with forelimb transplantation including median, ulnar and radial nerve coaptation demonstrated significantly improved grip strength and forelimb function as compared to forelimb transplantation without nerve approximation (grip strength: 1.71N ± 0.57 vs. no appreciable recovery; IBB scale: 2.6 ± 0.7? vs. 0.8 ± 0.40; p = 0.0005), and similar recovery to nerve transection-and-repair only (grip strength: 1.71N ± 0.57 vs. 2.03 ± 0.42.6; IBB scale: 2.6 ± 0.7 vs. 2.8 ± 0.8; p = ns). Moreover, all forelimb transplant animals with nerve coaptation displayed robust axonal regeneration with myelination and reduced flexor muscle atrophy when compared to forelimb transplant animals without nerve coaptation. In conclusion, this is the first VCA small-animal model that allows for reliable and reproducible measurement of behavioral functional recovery in addition to histologic evaluation of nerve regeneration and graft reinnervation.

Endoscopic component separation for laparoscopic and open ventral hernia repair: a single institutional comparison of outcomes and review of the technique.

PURPOSE: To our knowledge, there are limited small case series reports on endoscopic component separation (ECS) and no single institutional study comparing the difference in outcomes between laparoscopic and open ventral hernia repairs following endoscopic component separation. METHODS: A single institutional retrospective review was performed, identifying 42 patients who underwent endoscopic component separation at a single institution by a single surgeon for ventral hernia repair with prosthesis from 2010 to 2013. Seventeen patients underwent subsequent open ventral hernia repair (OHR) and 25 underwent laparoscopic ventral hernia repair (LHR). Demographics, surgical factors, wound complications and hernia occurrence post-operatively were reviewed. RESULTS: Surgical factors/demographics were similar between groups. All patients achieved primary fascial and skin closure. Operative time for the laparoscopic group was significantly shorter than the open group (278 vs. 378 min; P = 0.0001), and there was a trend towards a shorter hospital stay in the laparoscopic group (laparoscopic, 4 days; open, 5 days; P = 0.063). Estimated blood loss per case with ECS and subsequent laparoscopy was significantly lower than in the open cases (63 vs. 147 cc; P = 0.0017). In both groups, wound complications occurred in five patients (laparoscopic, 20 %; open, 29 %; P = 0.71). There was one midline hernia recurrence and two lateral abdominal wall hernia occurrences post-operatively in the laparoscopic group, whereas there were no midline and one lateral wall hernia occurrence in the open group. CONCLUSIONS: Patients undergoing endoscopic component separation with subsequent laparoscopic fascial reapproximation had a significantly shorter operative time and estimated blood loss when compared with open fascial reapproximation. Wound complications were similar in both groups although there were a greater number of hernia occurrences post-operatively in the laparoscopic group, though of no statistical significance.