Nerve and muscle damage after experimental thrombosis of large artery. Electrophysiology and morphology.

The effect of the terminal aorta thrombosis on the spinal cord and hind limb nerves and muscles morphology, and the sciatic-tibial motor nerve conduction was studied in cats. The effect of the iliac and femoral artery thrombosis on nerve morphology and conduction was also examined. Aortic thrombosis usually caused severe nerve and muscle lesions while spinal cord was spared. Nerve and muscle damage was strikingly more extensive and severe after aortic thrombosis than ligation. Nerve damage was also seen after the iliac or femoral artery thrombosis but not after ligation of these arteries. The tibial and peroneal nerve segments at the calf level were most vulnerable to ischemic damage. The nerve conduction studies (NCS) localized nerve lesions and indicated severity of the morphologic changes. The nerve conduction changes after arterial thrombosis reached a nadir at more variable time than in other experimental models of peripheral nerve ischemia. The markedly delayed development of maximal nerve dysfunction in some cases, if confirmed in humans, may present a rationale for aggressive medical or surgical intervention even several hours after acute arterial thrombosis.