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On sampling and sampling errors in histomorphometry of peripheral nerve fibers
Author(s) -
Geuna Stefano,
GigoBenato Davilene,
De Castro Rodrigues Antonio
Publication year - 2003
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/micr.10199
Subject(s) - sampling (signal processing) , medicine , peripheral nerve , sampling error , microsurgery , nerve fiber , selection (genetic algorithm) , sampling bias , peripheral , statistics , anatomy , computer science , sample size determination , surgery , observational error , artificial intelligence , mathematics , computer vision , filter (signal processing)
Histomorphometrical assessment of regenerated peripheral nerves is a very common goal of many studies in experimental microsurgery. In this paper, the main critical issues in nerve fiber sampling for quantitative morphological assessment are addressed. The equal opportunity rule, i.e., the basic paradigm of random sampling, is described, together with an explanation of how sampling errors, in the selection of histologic fields and of the nerve fibers inside them, can produce a bias in quantitative estimates. Finally, some practical suggestions on how to cope with the most common sampling errors are provided, in order to help researchers obtain reliable histomorphometrical data on peripheral nerve fibers. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.