A comparison of assessments of functional recovery in the rat.

Assessment of functional recovery following any peripheral nerve manipulation is critical. While quantitative neurobehavioral testing has been developed in the anesthesia literature for the assessment of neural function, the surgical literature relies mainly on walking track analysis for evaluation of motor recovery. The latter method is both cumbersome to perform and difficult to quantify. We compared standard walking track analysis with the quantitative neurobehavioral tests recently developed for anesthetic testing. We found a close correlation between the recovery predicted by walking track analysis and that suggested by neurobehavioral testing. In addition, the neurobehavioral test battery offered information regarding the rate of return of pure motor function, complex integrated function, proprioceptive function, and sensation. The tests are easier to perform and less susceptible to interpretative error. Neurobehavioral testing may be an effective substitute for walking track analysis in the assessment of functional recovery following manipulation of the rat sciatic nerve.