We investigated the effect of delay before nerve repair on neuropathic pain after injury to the brachial plexus. We studied 148 patients, 85 prospectively and 63 retrospectively. The mean number of avulsed spinal nerves was 3.2 (1 to 5). Pain was measured by a linear visual analogue scale and by the peripheral nerve injury scale. Early repair was more effective than delayed repair in the relief...

The use of bioengineered nerve guides as alternatives for autologous nerve transplantation (ANT) is a promising strategy for the repair of peripheral nerve defects. In the present investigation, we present a collagen-based micro-structured nerve guide (Perimaix) for the repair of 2 cm rat sciatic nerve defects. Perimaix is an open-porous biodegradable nerve guide containing continuous, longitud...

This issue of Critical Reviews in Biomedical Engineering is volume two of a three volume series focused on neural engineering. The theme of this volume is " Strategies for Nervous System Repair. " These articles present a range of biomedical engineering strategies to improve outcomes with specific focus given to neural tissue engineering and biomaterial strategies for the repair of spinal cord ...

Inhibition of calcium-activated neutral protease, in muscle and nerve, by the tripeptide leupeptin after median nerve transection and epineural repair in monkeys (Cebus apella) was studied. Results indicate that inhibition of the protease after nerve repair facilitates morphologic recovery in denervated thenar muscles and in distal thenar nerve branches. In addition, functional recovery was fac...

Recovery following peripheral nerve injuries is often incomplete. The gold standard treatment is surgical nerve repair performed immediately or shortly after injury. To date, there are no additional treatments that are used to enhance functional recovery. In this paper we outline two emerging applications of electrical stimulation to enhance nerve regeneration and functional recovery. The first...

The gold standard in surgical management of a peripheral nerve gap is currently autologous nerve grafting. This confers patient morbidity and increases surgical time therefore innovative experimental strategies towards engineering a synthetic nerve conduit are welcome. We have developed a novel synthetic conduit made of poly ε-caprolactone (PCL) that has demonstrated promising peripheral nerve ...

Schwann cells (SCs) are essential for proper peripheral nerve development and repair, although the mechanisms regulating these processes are incompletely understood. We previously showed that the adhesion G protein-coupled receptor Gpr126/Adgrg6 is essential for SC development and myelination. Interestingly, the expression of Gpr126 is maintained in adult SCs, suggestive of a function in the ma...

BACKGROUND Peripheral nerves can be injured by congenital, mechanical, thermal or chemical causes. Peripheral nerve injuries are increasing in frequency, particularly in countries that are becoming more industrialized. Nerve and extremity injuries result in work loss and high treatment costs, and can lead to separation of patients from their social environment. Failure of nerve repair causes mu...

Measurements of the dynamics of the eyes in ocular motor nerve palsies may aid diagnosis, characterize peripheral and central palsies, and reveal adaptive properties of the brain. Saccadic and vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) functions of patients with peripheral and central sixth, and peripheral third and fourth nerve palsies were studied by three dimensional magnetic field search coil oculograph...