Cited by 96Neuroscience and Neural EngineeringNerve injury and regenerationVagus Nerve Stimulation Research

Degeneration and regeneration in rabbit peripheral nerve with long-term nerve cuff electrode implant: A stereological study of myelinated and unmyelinated axons

Larsen, Jytte Overgaard, Thomsen, Morten, Haugland, Morten, Sinkjær, Thomas·1998·Acta Neuropathologica

Abstract

Selective and dynamically co-ordinated functional electrical stimulation (FES) of paralysed/paretic limbs in upper motor neuron lesioned people depends on optimal contact at the neural interface. Implanted nerve cuff electrodes may form a stable electrical neural interface, but may also inflict nerve damage. In this study the immediate and long-term effects of cuff implantation on the number and sizes of myelinated and unmyelinated axons have been evaluated with unbiased stereological techniques. Cuff electrodes were implanted in rabbit tibial nerves just below the knee joint, and the stereological analyses were carried out 2 weeks and 16 months after implantation. Myelinated axons were analysed at standardised levels proximal to, underneath, and distal to the cuff; unmyelinated axons underneath the cuff. A 27% loss of myelinated axons was found underneath and distal to the nerve cuff 2 weeks post surgery. All axonal sizes were equally lost except for the very smallest. At 16 months post surgery the number of myelinated axons was restored to control values at both levels. Except for the presence of regenerative sprouts at 2 weeks post surgery, no changes in the number or sizes of unmyelinated axons were revealed at either 2 weeks or 16 months post surgery. Our study demonstrates that implanted cuff electrodes may cause an initial loss of myelinated axons but with subsequent regeneration.

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Registry

Crossref · 10.1007/s004010050907

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11 of 11 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • Chronic implantation of snug cuffs modifies nerve shape and produces loss of large nerve fibers, which are the most sensitive to compression.

    “Although snug-fitting nerve cuffs have been advocated to reduce the stimulus charge injection or to obtain a high signal-to-noise ratio for neural recordings (Naples et al., 1990) , different studies have shown that chronic implantation of snug cuffs modifies the nerve shape and produces a loss of large nerve fibers, which are the most sensitive to compression (Krarup et al., 1989; Grill and Mort”
  • Neural damage induced by implantation and presence of an extraneural electrode is reversible.

    “Girsch et al. and Larsen et al. showed that neural damage induced by the implantation and presence of an extraneural electrode is reversible [53, 54].”
  • In rabbit tibial nerve, full regeneration occurred after an initial loss of 27% of myelinated axons following cuff electrode implantation.

    “Larsen et al. evaluated axonal loss in the rabbit tibial nerve 2 weeks and 16 months after implantation of cuff electrodes, and demonstrated full regeneration after an initial loss of 27% of myelinated axons.”
  • These damages could be reversible if no further stimulation is applied.

    “These damages could be reversible if no further stimulation is applied [54, 113].”
  • These drawbacks may induce irreversible damage to the nerves and cause serious biological issues, including inflammation, demyelination, axonal degradation, and blood vein compression.

    “These drawbacks may induce irreversible damage to the nerves and cause serious biological issues, including inflammation, demyelination, axonal degradation, and blood vein compression (14–17).”

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Authors
Larsen, J. O., Thomsen, M., Haugland, M., & Sinkjær, T.
Affiliations
  • Aalborg University Hospital (DK)
  • Aalborg University (DK)
Venue
Acta Neuropathologica
Published
1998-10-09
Volume
96
Issue
4
Pages
365-378
ISSN
  • 0001-6322 (ISSN-L)
  • 1432-0533
OpenAlex
W2024281494
Cited by
96
References
12
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 1 · 2015: 7 · 2014: 6 · 2013: 2 · 2012: 2
FWCI
1.84
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Acta Neuropathologica (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Neural Engineering
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Nerve injury and regeneration
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Neurology › Vagus Nerve Stimulation Research
Keywords
cuff electrodes, peripheral nerve injury, axonal loss, axon regeneration, myelinated axons, unmyelinated axons, axon diameter, functional electrical stimulation, neural interfaces, tibial nerve, rabbit model
MeSH terms
Anatomy, Artistic, Animals, Axons, Electric Stimulation, Electrodes, Implanted, Female, Nerve Degeneration, Nerve Fibers, Nerve Fibers, Myelinated, Nerve Regeneration, Peripheral Nerves, Rabbits, Time Factors

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