BERRY— HINSEY: RECOVERY, REGENERATING NERVES 565 



the maximum fiber diameter for each nerve. The linear relationship 

 between the two functions is thus illustrated in a new way, and con- 

 firms the contention of Gasser and Grundfest,^ that the relationship is 

 a linear one. Less deviation from the straight line in figure 4 was 

 found at the lower end of the graph, if the inside diameter (without 

 myelin sheath) was measured instead of outside diameter. 



The Difference in Recovery between Sutured and Crushed Nerves 



In a small series of 10 cats, the tibial, peroneal, and saphenous nerves 

 were crushed with thin, flat-surfaced forceps, and the nerves were al- 

 lowed to regenerate for determined intervals. The purpose of these 

 experiments was to determine whether the recovery of the action poten- 

 tial and fiber diameter would occur in the same way as had been ob- 

 served in the sutured nerves. 



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FIBER DIAMETER IN MICRA 



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FiGUBE 5. Comparison of fiber distribution according to diameter. 

 Histogram on the left, after suture. 

 Histogram on the right, after crush. 

 Both tibial nerves were allowed to regenerate for 94 days. 



The action potential records from the crushed nerves showed greater 

 recovery of conduction velocity and magnitude of the spikes than was 

 found in records from comparable regions of sutured nerves, taken 

 after the same amount of time had been allowed for regeneration. The 

 fibers also grew in diameter more rapidly in the crushed nerves. In 

 FIGURE 5, the histogram on the left is from the distal stump of the tibial 

 nerve, 94 days after suturing, that on the right, from a tibial nerve, 94 

 days after crushing. Shift of the graph to the right, in the c 



