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Experimental and clinical study of the effect of naftidrofuryl on the recovery from peripheral nerve lesions
Author(s) -
Merle Michel,
Gilbert Alain,
Fredenucci JeanFrançois,
Petry Didier,
Foliguet Bernard,
Mosnier Michel
Publication year - 1994
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.1920150308
Subject(s) - medicine , atrophy , median nerve , electromyography , carpal tunnel syndrome , placebo , peripheral , surgery , muscle atrophy , microsurgery , anesthesia , electrophysiology , compound muscle action potential , motor nerve , sciatic nerve , regeneration (biology) , peripheral neuropathy , anatomy , pathology , alternative medicine , endocrinology , psychiatry , biology , diabetes mellitus , microbiology and biotechnology
After primary repair of lesions of nerves and vessels, patients who were administered a vasoactive drug, naftidrofuryl, postoperatively, had a better functional recovery than untreated patients. Evidence for the favourable effect of the drug on nerve regeneration was first obtained from experiments in the rat. The sciatic nerve was transected and repaired with standard microsurgical techniques. Results were evaluated by electromyography and histology. Data indicated that treated animals had better motor responses and distal latency than untreated rats. Fibre counts showed a greater number of nerve fibres in the distal stump of treated animals. The clinical study was undertaken in cases of carpal tunnel syndrome with muscle atrophy. Assessment was performed by electrophysiology: motor and sensory conduction was studied. Data showed that all treated patients recovered totally or partially from the thenar atrophy they presented before operation, whereas thenar atrophy persisted in 37% of the patients receiving placebo. In conclusion, naftidrofuryl has an experimentally and clinically favourable effect on nerve regeneration and on muscle trophicity, but the mechanism of action of this drug is not known.