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J Reconstr Microsurg 1996; 12(3): 173-178
DOI: 10.1055/s-2007-1006472
ORIGINAL ARTICLE

© 1996 by Thieme Medical Publishers, Inc.

Ankle Stance Angle: A Functional Index for the Evaluation of Sciatic Nerve Recovery after Complete Transection

Fu-Mei Lin, Yu-Chuan Pan, Cynthia Hom, Mohamed Sabbahi, Saleh Shenaq
  • Division of Plastic Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine and School of Physical Therapy, Texas Woman's University, Houston, Texas
Further Information

Publication History

Accepted for publication 1995

Publication Date:
08 March 2008 (online)

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ABSTRACT

This study attempted to develop a motor functional index, ankle stance angle (ASA), to assess rat sciatic nerve regeneration subsequent to autografting. ASA, 50° in normal rats, is the ankle joint angle at the mid-stance phase of the gait cycle. In a nerve graft group, a 1-cm segment of the right sciatic nerve was transected and then repaired with nerve autograft. In an ungrafted group, the nerve gap was left unrepaired. ASA measured 4 months after surgery was statistically significantly larger in the nerve graft group (36°) than in the ungrafted group (22°). The results suggest that ASA is more sensitive than sciatic function index in detecting functional recovery after a complete sciatic nerve lesion. ASA also showed a significant correlation with the passive range of ankle joint motion and gastrocnemius muscle weight. The study concluded that ASA is a reliable index for assessment of regeneration of rat sciatic nerve after a complete lesion. The intra-rater reliability (r = 0.97 and 0.90) and inter-rater reliability (r = 0.85) tests performed support the conclusions.

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