Peripheral Nerve Repair and Reconstruction

Nerve injuries result in approximately $150 billion spent in annual health-care dollars in the United States1. Most patients are young males, with the radial nerve in the upper extremity and the peroneal nerve in the lower extremity most commonly injured2. Selecting the proper treatment continues to pose a challenging problem with a wide variability in approach and outcome. Direct tensionless end-to-end repair, when possible, achieves the most predictable outcomes. In nerve injuries when the nerve ends cannot be approximated without tension, nerve grafts represent the most commonly used method of reconstruction. The development of nerve conduits to enhance nerve repair remains an important research area and future clinical developments in the area of nerve regeneration and repair potentially could improve patient outcomes. COPYRIGHT © 2013 BY THE JOURNAL OF BONE AND JOINT SURGERY.