Clinical aspects of ballistic peripheral nerve injury: shrapnel versus gunshot.

Objectives: Ballistic injuries to peripheral nerves pose special challenges in terms of indications, timing and type of surgical intervention. The aim of the present work was to analyze our experience in the surgical treatment of peripheral nerve ballistic injuries with respect to the mechanism of injury (gunshot versus shrapnel), and identify common and dissimilar prognostic factors in both types of injury.

Methods: This study was conducted on 42 patients totaling 58 nerves.

Facial nerve reconstruction using a split hypoglossal nerve with preservation of tongue function.

A prospective study conducted on 13 patients suffering from complete facial nerve injury (for 4 months up to 2 years) aimed to show that using the split hypoglossal nerve allows for reconstruction of the facial nerve with preservation of tongue function. The hypoglossal nerve was split longitudinally. For each half, a split of the hypoglossal nerve's response was measured intraoperatively by recording the compound muscle action potential of the tongue muscle.

Laser phototherapy (780 nm), a new modality in treatment of long-term incomplete peripheral nerve injury: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study.

Objective: The authors conducted this pilot study to prospectively investigate the effectiveness of low-power laser irradiation (780 nm) in the treatment of patients suffering from incomplete peripheral nerve and brachial plexus injuries for 6 months up to several years.

Background Data: Injury of a major nerve trunk frequently results in considerable disability associated with loss of sensory and motor functions. Spontaneous recovery of long-term severe incomplete peripheral nerve injury is often unsatisfactory.

Efficacy of 780-nm laser phototherapy on peripheral nerve regeneration after neurotube reconstruction procedure (double-blind randomized study).

Objective: This pilot double-blind randomized study evaluated the efficacy of 780-nm laser phototherapy on the acceleration of axonal growth and regeneration after peripheral nerve reconstruction by polyglycolic acid (PGA) neurotube.

Background Data: The use of a guiding tube for the reconstruction of segmental loss of injured peripheral nerve has some advantages over the regular nerve grafting procedure. Experimental studies have shown that laser phototherapy is effective in influencing nerve regeneration.

Further development of reconstructive and cell tissue-engineering technology for treatment of complete peripheral nerve injury in rats.

Unlabelled: In this work we evaluated the efficacy of biodegradable composite co-polymer guiding neurotube, based on tissue-engineering technology, for the treatment of complete peripheral nerve injury where the nerve defect is significant. The right sciatic nerve of 12 three-month-old rats was completely transected and peripheral nerve segment was removed. A 2.

Pre-, intra-, and postoperative electrophysiologic analysis of the recovery of old injuries of the peripheral nerve and brachial plexus after microsurgical management.

This prospective electrophysiologic study compares the analysis of the pre-, intra-, and postoperative results of 38 surgically treated patients suffering from old injuries of the peripheral nerve (n=28) and brachial plexus (n=10). The period from injury until surgery for the peripheral nerve group ranged from 1.2 to 50 years and, in the brachial plexus group, from 1.