Modified trichrome staining technique of the nerve to determine proximal nerve viability.

Normal myelinated fibers are stained "red" by modified trichrome staining of the frozen section of the nerve. We have used this technique for rapid assessment of the anatomical integrity of the proximal nerve stump by identifying well-preserved myelinated fibers. This technique can also identify degenerating and degenerated myelinated fibers, fibrosis, and inflammatory cells. We report three cases in which the practical usefulness of this technique is demonstrated.