Outline of the General Neurobiological Problem -- The Perikarya Which Support Axonal Regrowth are Hyperexcitable -- Axonal Regrowth is Compromised by Ephaptic Cross-Talk Between the Branches -- Biological Significance of Axonal Branching -- Role of Cytoskeleton Reorganization During Axonal Branching -- The Individual Guidance Cues Promoting Reinnervation of Original Targets are Still Unknown -- Conclusion -- Outline of the Clinical Problem -- Questions Still Open -- Methodological Approach -- Materials and Methods -- First Set of Experiments: Attempts to Reduce Collateral Axonal Branching by Alterations of the Trigeminal Input to the Facial Perikarya -- Second Set of Experiments: Attempts to Reduce Collateral Axonal Branching at the Lesion Site -- Results -- First Set of Experiments: Influence of the Altered Afferent Input to Axotomized Facial Perikarya on the Quality of Reinnervation -- Second set of Experiments: Attempts to Reduce Collateral Axonal Branching at the Lesion Site -- Discussion -- The Combined Approach to Evaluate the Quality of Peripheral Nerve Regeneration -- Sensory-Motor Integrity as A Factor for Motor Regeneration -- Collateral Branching Versus Terminal Sprouting of Axons -- Prospects for the Future -- References -- Subject index. (folgt)