Surgical Treatment of Peripheral Nerve Injury

Peripheral nerves were first distinguished from tendons by Herophilus in 300 BC. By meticulous dissection he traced nerves to the spinal cord, demonstrating the continuity of the nervous system(1). In 900 AD, Rhazes made the first clear reference to nerve repair. However, not until 1795 did Cruikshank demonstrate nerve healing and recovery of distal extremity function after repair. In the early 1900s, Cajal pioneered the concept that axons regenerate from neurons and are guided by chemotrophic substances. In 1945, Sunderland promoted microsurgical techniques to improve nerve repair outcomes (1). Since that time, there have been a number of advances and new concepts in peripheral nerve reconstruction.