Living with nerve damage can significantly impact quality of life by limiting a person's capacity to perform everyday tasks and maintain independence.
Nerve repair surgery can aid in restoring lost sensation or movement and reducing chronic pain.
Peripheral nerves act like electrical cables, allowing the brain and spinal cord to communicate with the rest of the body. Motor nerves carry signals from the brain to muscles, allowing the body to move. Sensory nerves send information back to the brain, including sensations of touch, temperature, pressure, and pain. If a nerve is damaged, it can cause paralysis, loss of feeling or pain in the area of the body supplied by that nerve.
Peripheral nerves can be crushed, bruised, stretched, or cut due to traumatic injuries such as motor vehicle or sporting accidents, falls, gunshot wounds, and sharp cuts from glass, knives, or power tools. Due to their small size, nerves may also be unintentionally damaged during surgery. Sometimes nerves may be deliberately cut (e.g., during cancer surgery). The symptoms experienced from nerve injury depend on the location of the nerve injury and severity of the damage, but they range from changes in sensation, muscle weakness and pain, to complete loss of feeling and paralysis.
Nerves outside the spinal cord can regenerate after injury. Sometimes this regeneration goes wrong, and the nerve tissue forms a tangle of nerve fibers called a neuroma. Neuromas can form in the middle of a damaged nerve, or at the end of a severed nerve (e.g., after an amputation), and may cause severe pain and loss of function.
Spinal cord injuries can be devastating, resulting in partial or complete disruption of communication between the brain and the nerves at and below the level of the injury. Without a connection to the brain, peripheral nerves will no longer function. Depending on the severity and location of the spinal cord injury, symptoms can range from reduced feeling and movement to complete loss of sensation and paralysis.
As seen in carpal and cubital tunnel syndromes, nerves can be irritated and compressed from everyday repetitive activities. Chronic irritation and compression can damage the nerve and lead to pain, numbness, and loss of function.
If you have suffered a nerve injury, you should see a physician. They will perform a physical examination and may organise tests to determine the type and extent of your injury. Depending on the nature of your injury, they may refer you to a specialist for further assessment and treatment.
Treatment of peripheral nerve damage is dependent on the type and severity of your injury. If the damage to a nerve is bad enough, it may require surgery to heal. Your surgeon will discuss the options that are appropriate for you and your injury.
If a nerve is completely cut, due to trauma or during surgery (e.g., removal of a neuroma), the two nerve ends need to be re-connected to restore function. Where possible, the nerve will be repaired by suturing the two ends together. If the gap between the two nerve ends is too large, a nerve graft may be used to bridge the gap. Nerve grafts may be a donor nerve harvested from elsewhere in your body, or from donated tissue.
Nerve transfer involves taking an uninjured nerve (the donor) and connecting it to the end of a nerve that is no longer functioning (the recipient). If the connection is successful, the nerve fibers regenerate from the donor nerve to the recipient and restore function to the area of the body supplied by the recipient nerve.
Nerve transfers are an option when the gap between nerve ends is too large for a graft repair. Nerve transfer may also be performed to return movement to paralysed limbs in people with injuries of the spinal cord or very close to the spinal cord (e.g., brachial plexus).
If a nerve is trapped and compressed by surrounding tissue such as bone, tendon or ligament, surgery may be required to release the nerve so it can heal. The surgeon may also reposition the nerve to prevent further irritation and compression. Common nerve decompression surgeries include carpal and cubital tunnel release.
Sometimes it isn't possible to reconnect a damaged nerve, for example, after amputation of a limb or digit. If left untreated, the unconnected nerve end could develop a painful neuroma. One method of reducing the chance of neuroma formation is to place a protective cap around the end of the nerve to protect it from the surrounding tissue.
Nerve repair surgery can be complex and challenging. The sutures used to repair nerves can themselves have a negative impact on nerve healing. Remplir is a nerve wrap that surgeons can use to assist with nerve repair surgery. Remplir helps in two ways:
Remplir is the ideal biomaterial for use in nerve repair surgery. It is strong and flexible, making it easy to handle. It doesn’t react or cause inflammation in the body but creates an optimal healing environment for successful nerve regeneration. Once the nerve has healed, Remplir is broken down by natural processes and is gone within about three months after your surgery.
Damien injured his hand skateboarding, seriously damaging a motor nerve and leaving him with a permanently closed fist.
“The treatment I received to repair my nerve damage has been completely life altering. Prior to the treatment I had lost full function of my hand, making the simplest of tasks impossible – from tying my own shoelaces to changing my baby’s nappy. I have now made a full recovery and am now able to complete tasks unassisted and pain-free giving me back my freedom and independence. The treatment has also allowed me to return to the sport I love of rock climbing.”
Jasmine was just 14 when she fractured her vertebrae following a harrowing mountain bike accident. Her life-threatening injuries also left her unable to move her legs, arms and fingers. Never transfer surgery with Remplir has allowed Jas to reclaim sensation and movement in her hands and arms - giving her back independence and hope.
View Jasmine's StoryAdrian’s life changed in an instant following a devastating accident on his mountain bike. The father of three was diagnosed with C5 quadriplegia after a C6-C7 dislocation. He couldn’t straighten his elbow and had no movement in his wrists, hands, trunk and legs. Adrian received specialist surgery with Remplir and has regained movement and strength allowing him to successfully use his wheelchair - even play wheelchair rugby. His greatly improved hand function has given him hope to work again.
View Adrian's Story
At the age of 17, Liam was involved in a horrific car accident that left him with a C6 spinal cord injury and confinement to a wheelchair. Since his surgery with Remplir, Liam has reclaimed abilities he once thought impossible - including driving a modified car.
View Liam's StoryFor more information about how Remplir may help your nerve surgery, please contact us or speak with a qualified healthcare professional.