ABSTRACT
Nerve injuries may result from laceration (cutting), stretching (traction) or compression (crush) and, depending on the severity, may recover to varying extents.
There are three types of nerve injury:
1. Neuropraxia is damage to the nerve fibres but with no loss of contiguity to the surrounding axis cylinder. It may occur from prolonged pressure or friction. An example is a palsy of the common peroneal nerve from a tightly applied plaster cast. Neuropraxia is a ‘concussion’-type injury and recovery begins within a few days and is usually complete in a few weeks.
