D.F. Davey's Teaching Resources

Some Terminology Related to Peripheral Nerve Injury

In addition to Sunderland's scale of nerve injury there are some terms that are used to describe some nerve malfunction.

axonotmesis: damage to nerve fibres sufficiently severe to cause complete peripheral degeneration, but where the internal architecture of the nerve is spared. Following Wallerian degeneration, spontaneous regeneration leads to good recovery of function. This corresponds well to Sunderland's 2nd degree injury.
neurapraxia: describes nerve injury in which paralysis occurs without structural changes. This might correspond to Sunderland's 1st degree injury in a case where the cause of the injury is not withdrawn. However it can be used in cases where the cause is effectively unknown, and/or might reside in the central nervous system, and would then not fit into to Sunderland's scale.
neurotmesis: nerve injury in which internal structure is severely damaged, but externally the nerve anatomy appears intact. This would correspond well to Sunderland's 4th (and possibly 3rd) degree injury.