Reflex‐based grasping skilled forelimb reaching and electrodiagnostic evaluation for comprehensive analysis of functional recovery—The 7‐mm rat median nerve gap repair model revisited

摘要

IntroductionThe rat median nerve injury and repair model gets increasingly important for research on novel bioartificial nerve grafts. It allows follow‐up evaluation of the recovery of the forepaw functional ability with several sensitive techniques. The reflex‐based grasping test, the skilled forelimb reaching staircase test, as well as electrodiagnostic recordings have been described useful in this context. Currently, no standard values exist, however, for comparison or comprehensive correlation of results obtained in each of the three methods after nerve gap repair in adult rats.