Effect of BMP-2 in the healing of rabbit's facial nerve crush injury

AIM To study the effect of BMP 2 in the healing of peripheral motor nerve injury. METHODS The rabbit's facial nerve was crushed and injected with BMP 2 below the spineurium in one side as experimental group. The histological change of the facial nerve was observed and then the axon density, diameter and sectional area between experimental and control group was compared with image pattern analysis system. RESULTS The nerve conduction velocity of experimental group was faster than that of the control, but therewas no apparent statistical difference. The image pattern analysis showed that the axons of experimental group were denser and thicker than that of the control with apparent statistical difference. CONCLUSION BMP 2 may probably affect the regeneration of facial nerve injury, but it is not determined if this effect can influence the nerve functional recovery.