Abstract
Considerable interest has developed in the role of the autonomic nervous system and its effect on bone blood flow. In this paper, the effect of denervation on bone blood flow was studied using the hydrogen washout technique which allows repeated determinations of blood flow rates in the tissues. Six New Zealand white rabbits were anesthetized and platinum electrodes were inserted into the distal metaphysis of the both tibiae. Blood flow rates were measured before and after sectioning the proximal portions of the left sciatic nerves. Results showed that the average blood flow rate of the distal tibiae was 0.18ml/min/ml tissue. The blood flow of the denervated limb (left) was found to be increased by 24% in 5 minutes and by 17% in 30 minutes after the sciatic nerve section. On the other hand, the bone blood flow of the contralateral limb (right) showed 22% to 28% decrease after the left sciatic nerve section.
