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

Table 3 Summary fascicular areas (A_f) in transverse histologic sections of nerves

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	68.7 ± 6.9	-8	18.8 ± 8.1	-15
30 d of fixation	73.5 ± 5.8	-7	40.1 ± 2.3	-1
30 d without apparatus	54.2 ± 4.8	9a	27.8 ± 9.5	14a
A-group - automatic distraction (1 mm/d in 60 steps)
28 d of distraction	83.7 ± 13.5	-9a	25.7 ± 2.5	-16a
30 d of fixation	86.8 ± 13.5	-4	29.6 ± 7.0	1
30 d without apparatus	82.0 ± 6.4	5	25.9 ± 0.6	0c

^aP < 0.05 vs contralateral;

^cP < 0.05 vs group M.