Anatomy · General Anatomy / Applied Anatomy

Peripheral nerve injury, Wallerian degeneration and regeneration

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  • Peripheral nerve injury: interruption of a nerve fibre's continuity (axon, with or without its myelin sheath) after trauma.
  • Triggers Wallerian degeneration of the distal segment and, in peripheral nerves, subsequent regeneration.

Types of Nerve Injury

Types of peripheral nerve injury

Type

Neurotmesis

Axon
Interrupted
Myelin sheath
Interrupted
Recovery
Some functional loss inevitable

Axonotmesis

Axon
Interrupted
Myelin sheath
Preserved
Recovery
Occurs

Neuropraxia

Axon
Preserved
Myelin sheath
Preserved
Recovery
Occurs
  • Common causes: compression, traction, trauma, cut, or intramuscular injection.

Degeneration