Faculty Collaboration Database

Short-term effect of silicone gel on peripheral nerves: a histologic study. Plast Reconstr Surg 1992 May;89(5):931-40; discussion 941-2

Date

05/01/1992

Pubmed ID

1561264

DOI

10.1097/00006534-199205000-00025

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-0026694785 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   22 Citations

Abstract

The effect of silicone gel on the peripheral nerve was studied in Sprague-Dawley rats. Silicone gel was placed either extraneurally (N = 36) adjacent to or injected directly in the sciatic nerve (N = 20). Nerve histology was studied every 2 weeks over a 20-week period. Extraneural silicone gel elicited an intense inflammatory response characterized initially by predominantly histiocytes with a few eosinophils, lymphocytes, and foreign-body giant cells. The cellular response peaked at 4 weeks, after which time collagen deposition increased and the thickness of the cellular infiltrate surrounding the gel decreased. The gel was temporarily contained by the inflammatory response, but throughout the time course of the study, gel migration and breakup into smaller droplets occurred. Each droplet appeared to initiate the inflammation-fibrosis cycle anew. Perineural fibrosis was marked by 20 weeks, but there was no penetration of the epineurium by the gel. Intraneurally injected silicone gel also caused a delayed, but similar inflammatory response, eventually followed by fibrosis surrounding the gel. Intraneural gel tended to remain in larger droplets and did not migrate over the duration of this study. No direct evidence of gel toxicity to peripheral nerves was observed in either the extraneural or intraneural gel groups despite the initial intense inflammatory response and subsequent fibrosis.

Author List

Sanger JR, Kolachalam R, Komorowski RA, Yousif NJ, Matloub HS

Authors

Hani S. Matloub MD Professor in the Plastic Surgery department at Medical College of Wisconsin
James R. Sanger MD Professor in the Plastic Surgery department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Animals
Fibrosis
Gels
Male
Neuritis
Peripheral Nerves
Rats
Rats, Inbred Strains
Sciatic Nerve
Silicones
Time Factors