Quantification of functional recovery following rat sciatic nerve transection

Functional recovery following experimental nerve injury has been notoriously difficult to quantify precisely. The current gold standard in the rat sciatic nerve model involves analysis of footprints of the recovering animal, and computation of the sciatic function index (SFI). We performed transection injuries and measured recovery both by walking track analysis and by a newer, simpler, more quantitative test of motor recovery, the extensor postural thrust (EPT). We demonstrate a high correlation between both testing modalities and suggest a role for EPT measurements as an easier, more consistent measure of motor recovery following experimental rat sciatic nerve transection.