We developed a novel rat model to investigate the neurophysiological effects of peripheral double nerve transfers to a single target muscle. In 62 male Sprague-Dawley rats the ulnar nerve of the antebrachium alone (n=30) or together with the anterior interosseus nerve (n=32) was transferred to reinnervate the long head of the biceps brachii. To further assess reinnervation, retrograde labeling was performed. Twelve weeks following surgery retrograde tracer dyes were injected in the long head of the biceps muscle to stain the reinnervating motoneurons. In 7 control animals, the number of innervating motorneurons was assessed by injecting retrograde tracer in the untreated long head of the biceps.

The aim of this dataset was to compare the effects of single nerve transfer and double nerve transfer on motor neuron count.