The nerve gap: suture under tension vs. graft.

Conduction velocities and amplitudes of evoked responses were used in experimental models to compare reinnervation through nerve gaps sutured under tension or bridged with nerve grafts. The best results were obtained when end-to-end suture was done without tension. Regeneration through mildly stretched nerve repairs was equivalent to applying a properly tailored graft. Minimal axonal activity was exhibited by severely stretched repair sites.