The surgical placement of autografts as side-to-side cross-bridges between an intact donor tibial (TIB) and a recipient denervated common peroneal (CP) distal nerve stump and the delayed coaptation of the CP nerve stumps.

<p>In the first set of experiments (No Repair: <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0127397#pone.0127397.t001" target="_blank">Table 1</a>), the distal nerve stump of transected CP nerve was laid parallel to the intact TIB donor nerve for securing CP autologous cross-bridges at right angles to the nerves: 1 and 3 (5 and 7 not shown) cross-bridges 6 mm long (A,B) or 3 to 9 cross-bridges 3.2 mm in length (C-F). Perineurial windows were opened in the TIB and CP nerves to insert 1–3 bridges over a distance of 10 mm on each nerve (A-C). To examine possible neurotrophic influence of the denervated targets, the connection of the denervated CP nerve with these targets, the nerve was ligated (D). To insert more than 3 bridges of 3.2 mm length, the perineurium was removed (E-F). In a second set of experiments (Repair, <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0127397#pone.0127397.t001" target="_blank">Table 1</a>), no cross-bridges were placed between the donor TIB nerve and recipient denervated CP nerve stump in a control group of rats (G) and 3–9 CP autologous cross-bridges were placed between the nerves in the experimental rat group (H) (only 3 cross-bridges shown). Three months later, the CP nerve stumps were refreshed and sutured together to encourage CP nerve regeneration through either an ‘unprotected’ chronically denervated CP nerve stump where no cross-bridges were placed (I) or through a CP nerve stump that was ‘protected’ by placing 3–9 cross-bridges between the donor TIB nerve and the denervated CP nerve stump (J).