Fig. 4.

Functional analysis and morphological evaluation of the regenerated nerves. (A) Hydrogel implantation in a diabetic rat with sciatic nerve defect. (B) Structural repair indicated by H&E staining of the sciatic nerve on the 28th day after the injury. (C) The equation for calculating the SFI and measurement parameters of the footprints. (D) SFI scores of different groups 14, 21, and 28 days after the operation (n = 5). (E) Representative analysis of the footprints. (F) Illustration of the CMAP testing protocol. (G) Quantification of the CMAP amplitudes measured in each group (n = 3). (H) Representative CMAP recordings on the injured side of the sciatic nerve (*p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, and ***p < 0.001).