Benefits of Ilizarov automated bone distraction for nerves and articular cartilage in experimental leg lengthening

Table 2 Areas of nerves histologic transverse sections (A_n)

Nerves/group and t-points	Tibial nerve		Peroneal nerve
	(mean ± SD) (104 mKm2)	Difference vs contra-lateral (%)	(mean ± SD) (104 mKm2)	Difference vs contra-lateral (%)
M-group - manual distraction (1 mm/d in 4 steps)
28 d of distraction	353.7 ± 34.8	3	41.6 ± 9.4	-2
30 d of fixation	291.6 ± 26.2	-4	63.6 ± 1.1	-11a
30 d without apparatus	248.7 ± 29.2	3	53.3 ± 8.8	-3
A-group - automatic distraction (1 mm/d in 60 steps)
28 d of distraction	287.3 ± 60.0	-2	56.2 ± 3.4	-1
30 d of fixation	306.8 ± 76.7	15ac	75.8 ± 16.3	-1c
30 d without apparatus	224.8 ± 31.1	10c	46.5 ± 1.1	1

^aP < 0.05 vs contralateral;

^cP < 0.05 vs group M.