The Effect of Distraction Osteogenesis on Peripheral Nerve Regeneration in Rats: A Preliminary Study In Vivo

Figure 3

Histological results of the sciatic nerves in different groups (HE staining, n = 3 per group). (a) Wavy running nerve fibres were observed in the control, as characterized by the obvious nodes of Ranvier (red arrow) and scattered distribution in Schwann’s cell nuclei (yellow arrow). (b) Disorganized nerve fibres were observed in Group 0-week with the widened distance between some nerve bundles (red arrows) and medullary spheroid changes appearing to be a lipid droplet-like structure (yellow arrows). (c) Mild reparative changes were seen in Group 2-week with still-persisting lipid droplet-like structures (yellow arrows). (d) Self-repaired nerve fibres were observed in Group 4-week with myeloid-like changes still present (yellow arrows). (e, f) At Group -week and Group 8-week, the nerve fibres had recovered to the normal arrangement, with the clear observation of the nerve axon, the node of Ranvier, and internode structures.

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