Trauma
Physical trauma or traumatic nerve damage resulting from an injury, surgery, compression, or application of tensile force may result in either permanent or temporary damage to nerve fibers. The resulting nerve injuries are divided into five different types according to the Sunderland classification system: first (reversible conduction block with no actual damage to the axons or tissues), second (loss of axon continuity that doesn’t require surgeries), third (damaged axons and supporting structures within the nerve that can be repaired via cleaning or grafting), fourth (scarred axons and surrounding tissues repairable via surgery with nerve grafting), and fifth (laceration or severe stretching of nerves repairable only via surgery) degrees, respectively.
These types of traumatic injuries typically result in various traumatic peripheral neuropathies. It causes multiple damage states, ranging from mild discomfort to temporary or permanent loss of nerve sensation, movement, or coordination. In severe cases, traumatic peripheral neuropathy may be synonymous with the life-long impairment of nerve cells.
Some examples of peripheral nerve injuries that may result in eventual traumatic peripheral neuropathies include a sudden stretch of a limb, brachial plexus injury, nerve laceration caused by a sharp object, peroneal nerve injury (foot drop), spinal accessory nerve injury, and a gunshot wound with associated cavitation.
