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Assessment of nerve ultrastructure by fibre‐optic confocal microscopy
Author(s) -
Cushway Timothy R.,
Lanzetta Marco,
Cox Guy,
Trickett Rodney,
Owen Earl R.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
microsurgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.031
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1098-2752
pISSN - 0738-1085
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1098-2752(1996)17:8<444::aid-micr5>3.0.co;2-e
Subject(s) - confocal microscopy , ultrastructure , confocal , optical sectioning , microscopy , optic nerve , anatomy , pathology , biomedical engineering , microscope , medicine , biology , optics , microbiology and biotechnology , physics
Fibre‐optic technology combined with confocality produces a microscope capable of optical thin sectioning. In this original study, tibial nerves have been stained in a rat model with a vital dye, 4‐(4‐diethylaminostyryl)‐N‐methylpyridinium iodide, and analysed by fibre‐optic confocal microscopy to produce detailed images of nerve ultrastructure. Schwann cells, nodes of Ranvier and longitudinal myelinated sheaths enclosing axons were clearly visible. Single axons appeared as brightly staining longitudinal structures. This allowed easy tracing of multiple signal axons within the nerve tissue. An accurate measurement of internodal lengths was easily accomplished. This technique is comparable to current histological techniques, but does not require biopsy, thin sectioning or tissue fixing. This study offers a standard for further in vivo microscopy, including the possibility of monitoring the progression of nerve regeneration following microsurgical neurorraphy. © 1997 Wiley‐Liss, Inc. MICROSURGERY 17;444–448 1996