Study of nerve plasticity after nerve corssing using three dementional imaging reconstruction

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25293362
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Plastic surgery
• Research Institution: Niigata University
• Principal Investigator: Shibata Minoru 新潟大学, 医歯(薬)学総合研究科, 研究員 (50196432)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 松田 健 新潟大学, 医歯学系, 教授 (50423166)
• Research Collaborator: SATO Noboru 新潟大学, 医歯学系, 教授 (00254756) ; USHIKI Tatsuo 新潟大学, 医歯学系, 教授 (40184999) ; SHIBUKI Katsuei 新潟大学, 脳研究所, 教授 (40146163)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 神経交叉 / 神経可塑性 / 脊髄髄節 / 支配レベル / 脊髄前根 / 脊髄後根

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Nerve crossing recently become useful nerve repairing method, however, this procedure should theoretically invites unusefull missreinnervation. We anticipated unknown nerve purposeful neural plasticity worked after nerve crossing. We established nerve crossing technique in the extremely small peripheral nerve in the upper arm to allow hole mount brachial plexus observation. Retrograding tracing of ulnar and musculocutaneous nerve revealed spinal neuron innervation and there was almost no overlapping innervation between ulnar and musculocutaneous nerve. It was found that after crossing of proximal ulna and distal musculocutaneous nerve retrograde tracing from distal to the crossing site identified participation of musculocutaneous nerve innervating neuron tracing in addition to the ulnar innervating neurons. Electrophysiological study demostrated useful reinnervation by this type of crossing procedure. Observation of whole mounting brachial plexus is proceeding.

Free Research Field

末梢神経