Potentials and limitations of peripheral nerve injury models in rodents with particular reference to the femoral nerve

Restoration of function after peripheral nerve repair in humans is unsatisfactory. Various causes of poor recovery have been proposed. Still, we do not understand which of these potential factors are indeed detrimental and do not know how to manipulate them experimentally in a clinically feasible way. Future success largely depends on methodological improvement in rodent models. An example of recent progress is the introduction of new functional and anatomical outcome measures in the facial nerve injury paradigm which led to novel insights into facial nerve regeneration and a new therapeutic concept. Less success can be ascribed to the use of the classical spinal nerve model, the sciatic nerve paradigm, not least because of its anatomical and functional complexity making assessment of recovery challenging. A simpler alternative to the sciatic nerve is the femoral nerve model. It offers, alongside with its known usefulness for studies on precision of motor reinnervation, the possibility of reliable functional assessments and a straightforward search of anatomical substrates of dysfunction. The structure-function approach in the femoral nerve paradigm has been useful for testing of novel therapeutic means and analyses of regeneration in mutant mice. The potential of the method has still not been really exploited and its more extensive use may contribute to better understanding of nerve regeneration.