Promoting neurological recovery following a traumatic peripheral nerve injury

ABSTRACT

If a peripheral nerve is crushed, or if the nerve is cut and the ends sutured together soon after the lesion (anastomosed), neurological recovery is good. When a length of a peripheral nerve is destroyed, and anastomosis is not possible, the standard surgical repair technique is to graft a length/s of sensory nerve from the patient, into the gap. For gaps 4 cm recovery is limited to non-existent. The limited recovery is because sensory nerves act as passive scaffolds for axon regeneration and do not actively promote axon regeneration. However, such grafts remain the [quot ]gold standard[quot ] for nerve repairs. New techniques are required that induce improved neurological recovery. This paper reviews current clinical and basic research techniques for inducing neurological recovery following traumatic peripheral nerve injuries.