Options for reconstructing peripheral nerve gaps after trauma are limited. The acellular nerve is a new kind of biomaterial used to reconstruct the peripheral nerve defect, but its use could be improved upon. We aimed to investigate the effect of adenoviral transfection with hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) on the functional recovery of transected sciatic nerves repaired by acellular nerve grafting. 30 Rats were divided into three groups (10/group) for autografting and acellular grafting, as well as acellular grafting with adenovirus transfection of HGF (1 x 10(8) pfu) injected in muscles around the proximal and distal allograft coapation. Sciatic functional index (SFI) was evaluated every 4 weeks to week 16 by measuring rat footprints on walking-track testing. The three groups presented initial complete functional loss, followed by slow but steady recovery, with final similar SFIs. Weight of the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles, histologic and morphometric study and neovascularization in the nerve grafts were evaluated at week 16. Autografting gave the best functional recovery, but HGF-treated acellular grafting gave better recovery than acellular grafting alone. Neovascularization was greater with HGF-treated acellular grafting than with autografting and acellular grafting alone. Axonal regeneration distance of autografting on the 20th postoperative day was the longest in the three groups,while that of acellular grafting alone was the smallest. Acellular nerve grafting may be useful for functional peripheral nerve regeneration, and with human HGF gene transfection may improve on acellular grafting alone in functional recovery.