Effects of neuroprosthetic stimulation on the peripheral nerves of amputees: A digital image processing study

In the present study we apply digital image processing techniques to evaluate the consequences of neuroprosthetic stimulation to the peripheral nerves of amputee subjects. The descriptors we employed (contrast, correlation, homogeneity and percentage of collagen and fibers) describe well the real conditions of the control and experimental nerves. Here we compare intact nerves from rats without any peripheral manipulation (control or C-group) with experimental nerves o neuromas of rats with complete section of the trigeminal nerve (amputated or A-group) and experimental nerves o neuromas of rats with complete section of the trigeminal nerve but stimulated for 4 weeks by means of a device implanted immediately after the lesion (prosthetic or P-group). Scores of the C, A and P groups indicate a normalizing tendency of P-conditions on the traumatic neuroma: P-C groups display more similar values than C-A or P-A. Our results are useful to obtain morphometric data of peripheral nerves, estimate changes in neuroma and clinical consequences due to amputations and electrical stimulation of the amputated peripheral nerves.