What are peripheral nerves?
Peripheral nerves are how the body carries signals between the brain and the rest of the body. In the hand and upper limb, these nerves are responsible for movement and feeling.
When a nerve is injured, these signals are interrupted. A patient may feel numbness or lose sensation, and may also have weakness or paralysis of the muscles. This explains why holding objects or moving the fingers can become difficult in some cases.
Why is time so important?
Nerve injuries are not like other injuries, because time plays a decisive role.
Muscles need a constant flow of signals from their nerves to stay healthy. When these signals are cut off, the muscles begin to waste away, and the nerve endings that control movement begin to deteriorate.
Studies show that if the nerve signal is delayed for more than about a year, the chance of recovery falls sharply, even if the nerve is repaired later.
For this reason, early diagnosis and treatment are very important.
How are nerve injuries treated?
When a nerve is cleanly cut, the best treatment is to reconnect it directly using very fine stitches under the microscope. This kind of surgery gives the best results, especially when it is done early.
In some cases the nerve is badly damaged or part of it is missing, and it cannot be repaired directly. Here we use a nerve graft, taking a piece of another nerve from the body.
In late or complex cases, nerve transfer can be used, where a healthy nerve is connected to an affected muscle to speed up recovery.
If a long time has passed and the muscle has lost its ability to work, tendon transfer can be used as a practical way to restore function.
An important message
Any numbness or weakness in the hand after an injury should not be ignored. Early assessment by a surgeon who specialises in peripheral nerves can change the outcome significantly.
In summary
Nerve injuries affect both feeling and movement. Early treatment gives the best results, but even in late cases there are effective options that help restore function and improve quality of life.
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