Direct Reconnection of Cervical Nerves to Restore Forelimb Mobility in a Mouse
JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments
Neuroscience
0 views • 2:21 min • August 29th, 2025
Begin with a mouse with a severed left cervical 7 or C7 nerve at its merger points.
And a dissected right C7 nerve from its nerve root until its division level, resulting in reduced mobility of the right forelimb.
Remove muscles on both sides of the vertebral bodies.
Separate the tissue between the trachea, esophagus, and vertebral bodies to create a prespinal space.
Thread a suture loop through the prespinal route to secure the left C7 nerve and guide it to the right side.
Retract the trachea and esophagus to improve access.
Align left and right nerve divisions and suture the nerve’s outer sheath.
This facilitates nerve reconnection and restores movement of the right forelimb.
Irrigate the wound with saline and use a sterile gauze to clean the area before closing the surgical site.
The mouse is now ready for further analysis of direct nerve reconnection.
Before transferring the left C7 nerve, remove the muscular longus coli beside the vertebra bodies partially on both sides.
Then separate and expand the space between the trachea, esophagus, and vertebral body. Once done, send a loop made of 7-0 nylon suture from the right side of the vertebral body to the left side through the prespinal root, hitch the left C7 nerve with a nylon suture loop and guide the nerve to the right side via the prespinal root. After retracting the trachea and esophagus, co apt the anterior and posterior divisions of the left C7 nerve to the right C7 nerve root without tension using 12-0 nylon sutures.
Suture the epineurium around the nerves with four to five stitches to coaptate the nerve strongly. When suturing is done, irrigate the wound with sterile normal saline, followed by drying with sterile gauze, then suture the sternum and close the skin using 5-0 monofilament sutures.
Overview
This protocol demonstrates the surgical technique for reconnecting severed cervical nerves in mice, which may aid in restoring forelimb mobility. Understanding this process is crucial for advancing nerve repair strategies in neuroscience.
Key Study Components
Area of Science
- Neuroscience
- Regenerative Medicine
- Neurobiology
Background
- Cervical nerve injuries can lead to significant mobility loss.
- Reconnecting nerves may facilitate recovery of function.
- Understanding nerve anatomy is essential for successful reconnection.
- Previous studies have explored various nerve repair techniques.
Purpose of Study
- To demonstrate a method for direct nerve reconnection.
- To assess the feasibility of restoring forelimb mobility.
- To provide a detailed surgical protocol for researchers.
Methods Used
- Severing the left cervical 7 nerve in a mouse model.
- Dissecting the right cervical 7 nerve for reconnection.
- Creating a prespinal space for nerve alignment.
- Suturing techniques to secure nerve connections.
Main Results
- This protocol demonstrates the steps for nerve reconnection.
- It outlines the surgical techniques necessary for successful outcomes.
- Further analysis is required to evaluate functional recovery.
- Potential applications in nerve injury treatments are discussed.
Conclusions
- Direct reconnection of cervical nerves is feasible in mice.
- This method may serve as a basis for future research in nerve repair.
- Understanding the surgical approach is critical for replicating results.
Frequently Asked Questions
Executive Industry Relevance
Direct cervical nerve reconnection in a mouse model provides a controlled system for interrogating mechanisms of nerve repair and functional restoration. This approach enables rigorous hypothesis testing around neural pathway reconstitution and supports predictive confidence in translational neuroregeneration research. The model is positioned to inform early-stage target validation and mechanistic de-risking for nerve injury therapeutics.
Strategic Applications in Biopharma R&D
Early Discovery & Target Validation
- Enables direct testing of neural repair hypotheses in a defined anatomical context.
- Supports mechanistic de-risking by isolating the impact of nerve reconnection on motor function.
- Facilitates functional target validation for regenerative strategies addressing nerve injury.
Screening & Assay Development
- Provides a reproducible in vivo system for evaluating candidate interventions in nerve repair.
- Standardizes surgical and anatomical variables to support quantitative assessment of outcomes.
- Enables downstream development of functional assays for mobility restoration.
Translational & Preclinical Research
- Aligns with disease-relevant models of nerve injury and repair.
- Supports continuity from mechanistic discovery to preclinical validation of neuroregenerative approaches.
- Informs risk-adjusted advancement of therapeutic candidates targeting neural restoration.
Pipeline & Workflow Integration
This direct nerve reconnection model fits within the early discovery to preclinical continuum for neuroregeneration research.
- Discovery Biology: Enables hypothesis-driven testing of nerve repair mechanisms and pathway reconstitution.
- Screening: Provides a standardized platform for evaluating intervention efficacy and reproducibility.
- Analytics: Supports quantitative measurement of forelimb mobility as a functional readout.
- Translational Research: Bridges mechanistic findings to preclinical models of nerve injury.
- Enterprise Reuse: Offers a reusable in vivo system for iterative testing of neuroregenerative strategies.
Operational & Enterprise Impact
- Scientific Value: Increases predictive confidence in neural repair mechanisms and target validation.
- Operational Value: Standardizes surgical procedures and functional assessments for reproducibility.
- Strategic Value: Supports informed go/no-go decisions for neuroregenerative therapeutic programs.
- Portfolio Impact: Enables risk-adjusted prioritization of nerve repair candidates in early pipelines.
Implementation Considerations
- Requires expertise in microsurgical nerve manipulation and anatomical dissection.
- Demands access to specialized surgical instrumentation and post-operative care infrastructure.
- Necessitates cross-team standardization of surgical and functional assessment protocols.
- Adaptation to other nerve injury models may require protocol optimization.
- Functional recovery assessment depends on robust, quantitative mobility measurements.
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Last updated: 29 August 2026