الفهرس 
AcknowledgementOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Peripheral nerve trunks are very delicate structures consisting not only of the extended processes from the nerve cell body of the neuron – axons – but also of a large number of other cell components and intraneural blood vessels that react to trauma. The outcome of a nerve injury is variable depending on the etiology of the trauma [ ].
Peripheral nerve injury is a serious health concern for society, affecting 2.8% of trauma patients, many of whom acquire life-long disability [ ]. It is found that only around 3% of hand injuries include injury to peripheral nerve trunks. Even a minor injury to a finger causing a digital nerve injury may induce dysfunction of the hand. The injury does not only cause problems in the patient’s professional life but leisure activities are also severely impaired. Although costs of nerve injuries burden the health care sector, the main part of the total cost is caused by loss of productivity (sick leave). The reason is that a large number of the patients with nerve injuries are in productive age. An adequate and properly timed treatment of peripheral nerve injuries is crucial to achieve a reasonable satisfying clinical outcome [ ].
Nerve injuries can result from orthopedic injuries or their surgical management, direct nerve trauma or compression. Nerve palsy may also be caused by nerve tumors, local inflammation or idiopathic neuritis [ ].
The capacity of peripheral nerves to regenerate their axons and re-innervate distal targets after injury has been recognized for more than a century. Despite this ability, poor functional results after peripheral nerve injury continue to be a frustrating problem. Many factors contribute to patient outcomes after nerve reconstruction. The timing of the repair, the level of the injury, the type and extent of the injury, and patient factors all contribute to the outcome after nerve injury [ , ]. Additionally, the technical skill and strategies used by the reconstructive surgeon can have dramatic effects. Significant advances using microsurgical techniques for nerve repair have led to improved results after peripheral nerve surgery and have extended the types of nerve repair that can be accomplished using innovative techniques such as nerve transfers and end-to-side repairs.