Timing, Logistics and Bureaucratic Process in Planning an Experimental In Vivo Nerve Regeneration Project from A to Z

Every research project begins with an idea and a theory. After a thorough examination of previous publications related to the idea (in order not to re-invent the wheel), the idea must be put in practice to test the hypothesis. When it comes to in vivo experiments, there are several bureaucratic demands which need to be fulfi lled before commencing any project. Furthermore, the experiments require similar clinical conditions for surgery and postoperative care in order to obtain irrefutable results. Apart from the logistics necessary for the surgical intervention and the postoperative care, logistics referring to proper accommodation and food supplies for the animals to be experimented on is also to be considered from the beginning. Last but not least, the human resource is most valuable in such projects, as the surgical interventions are time consuming and require for sterile conditions at least 2 people (the surgeon and the assistant). The personnel involved in the project needs to allocate time for the postoperative care, the following clinical tests as well as the daily time spent for cleaning, feeding and providing water for the animals in the study. In nerve regeneration studies, this can take up to months, therefore all the resources should be well planned before the beginning of the project.