Figure 7. Behavioral results and correlations with axonal misdirection and attrition.

In sciatic nerve groups, skilled locomotion was assessed with the ladder-rung task by determining injured limb slip ratios up to 12 weeks. The Crush _s group recovered to baseline, but the Transection _s and Negative Control _s groups showed no significant recovery. Despite variable deficits ranging from minimal to extreme in the NIC injury groups, the MN _s and (MN+50g)x2 _s groups still demonstrated statistically significant differences from Crush _s at 12 weeks (A) (n=6 per group). More significant than the group results, were the good correlation between individual animal final functional outcomes and the average percentage of misdirection (r²= 0.67) and FB labeled motor neuron count (attrition of motor neurons with axons to MG nerve) (r²= 0.69) respectively (B). A better correlation was found between the final functional deficit and the misdirection/regeneration quotient (MRQ = Average misdirection (%)/ MG motor neurons (n); r²=.76), which combines the relative contribution of both these factors (C).