Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41163096›Full record

ArticleMilitary Medical Research2025

Ex-vivo limb perfusion in military and civilian medicine: inspired by ex-vivo organ perfusion, pioneered for traumatic limb amputation and peripheral nerve regeneration.

Kirsten Haastert-Talini, Katherina Katsirntaki, Svenja Kankowski, Alexander Kaltenborn, Falk von Lübken, Christine Falk, Christopher Werlein, Danny Jonigk, Arjang Ruhparwar, Bettina Wiegmann

Abstract read
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Article in Military Medical Research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Kirsten Haastert-TaliniHannover Medical School, Institute of Neuroanatomy and Cell Biology, 30625, Hannover, Germany.
Katherina KatsirntakiDepartment for Cardiothoracic, Transplantation and Vascular Surgery, Hannover Medical School, 30625, Hannover, Germany.
Svenja KankowskiHannover Medical School, Institute of Neuroanatomy and Cell Biology, 30625, Hannover, Germany.
Alexander KaltenbornDepartment of Trauma and Orthopedic Surgery, Plastic, Hand and Reconstructive Surgery, Armed Forces Hospital Westerstede, 26655, Westerstede, Germany.
Falk von LübkenDepartment of Trauma and Orthopedic Surgery, Plastic, Hand and Reconstructive Surgery, Armed Forces Hospital Westerstede, 26655, Westerstede, Germany.
Christine FalkHannover Medical School, Institute of Transplant Immunology, 30625, Hannover, Germany.
Christopher WerleinGerman Center for Lung Research (DZL), BREATH Hannover, 30625, Hannover, Germany.
Danny JonigkGerman Center for Lung Research (DZL), BREATH Hannover, 30625, Hannover, Germany.
Arjang RuhparwarDepartment for Cardiothoracic, Transplantation and Vascular Surgery, Hannover Medical School, 30625, Hannover, Germany.
Bettina WiegmannDepartment for Cardiothoracic, Transplantation and Vascular Surgery, Hannover Medical School, 30625, Hannover, Germany. Wiegmann.Bettina@mh-hannover.de.ORCID 0000-0001-6556-4059

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundTraumatic amputations have increased worldwide over the past two decades and are expected to increase by 72% by 2050. Surgical replantation provides superior functional recovery and patient satisfaction but is limited to specialized centers and restricted by short ischemia times, due to life-over-limb prioritization in patient care. To overcome these limitations, we developed an ex vivo limb perfusion system (EVEP) to extend limb viability and, for the first time, investigate its impact on peripheral nerve regeneration, a key prerequisite for functional recovery following replantation.

methodsHind limbs of 6 healthy pigs were amputated, and after 2 h of warm ischemia, limbs were either perfused normothermally for 6 h with PerfadexPlus® ± medication using in-house developed EVEP or stored statically (4 °C vs. room temperature). Perfusion parameters, blood gas analysis, serum markers, cytokine levels, thermal imaging, colloid oncotic pressure, weight gain, joint mobility, peripheral nerve histomorphometric and stereological analyses were performed.

resultsData confirm a valid and reliable EVEP with an optimized perfusion protocol. Comparison of perfusion groups revealed lower serum injury markers in the medication group, which included methylprednisolone treatment. Additionally, the medication group exhibited reduced weight gain and preserved unrestricted joint mobility, but concurrently led to a significant decrease in pro-regenerative cytokine levels associated with Wallerian degeneration (WD).

conclusionsIn general, EVEP mitigates ischemia-related damage and facilitates ex vivo induction of WD, a critical prerequisite for nerve regeneration, functional recovery, and prevention of neuroma formation with subsequent phantom pain, by establishing the pro-regenerative environment for WD, which is further amplified by omitting the anti-inflammatory methylprednisolone.

Indexed as

Amputation, TraumaticNerve RegenerationPerfusionAmputation, SurgicalAnimalsHindlimbMilitary MedicinePeripheral NervesSwineAutologous replantationEx-situ perfusionEx vivo limb perfusionEx vivo perfusionNerve regenerationPeripheral nerve regenerationTraumatic limb amputationWallerian degeneration

Identifiers

PMID41163096
PMCPMC12570661

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.