Femoral nerve motor neuron labeling results.

<p>Results of motor neuron labeling by FB (A) and Di-I (B) application to femoral nerve motor and cutaneous divisions, respectively. Double-labeled motor neurons (C) are illustrated by the arrows (merge A+B). The total MN counts (FB + Di-I minus double label) represent the overall degree of attrition of motor neurons that regenerated axons beyond the injury zone. The total <i>Crush</i>_{<b><i>f</i></b>} (n=6) group counts dominated over (MN+50g)<b><i>x2</i></b>_{<b><i>f</i></b>} (n=4) and <i>Transection+Repair</i>_{<b><i>f</i></b>} (n=5) groups with statistical significance (D). FB cell counts of the <i>Sham</i>_{<b><i>f</i></b>} (n=5) and <i>Crush</i>_{<b><i>f</i></b>} groups showed statistically significant differences compared to the (MN+50g)<b><i>x2</i></b>_{<b><i>f</i></b>}, <i>Transection</i>_{<b><i>f</i></b>} (n=5) and <i>Transection+Repair</i>_{<b><i>f</i></b>} groups, indicating significant motor pathway attrition in the latter groups (E). Percentage motor axons misdirected to the cutaneous division (= Di-I labeled/ Total count x100) was the highest in the <i>Transection</i>_{<b><i>f</i></b>} group and together with the (MN+50g)<b><i>x2</i></b>_{<b><i>f</i></b>} group, had statistically significant differences from the Sham_{<b><i>f</i></b>}, Crush_{<b><i>f</i></b>}, <i>MN</i>_<i>f</i> (n=6) and <i>MN</i>+50<i>g</i>_<i>f</i> (n=6) groups. The <i>Transection</i>_{<b><i>f</i></b>} group had also significantly more misdirection compared to the <i>Transection+Repair</i>_{<b><i>f</i></b>} group (F); 100µm scale bar (*p<0.05;**p<0.01).