Guest Editor(s)
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- Dr. Francesca Toia
- Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences,
University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.
E-mail
Special Issue Introduction
With the present Special Issue on "nerve regeneration and repair", we wish to summarize the state of the art of translational and clinical research and present the current trends and future prospects of peripheral nerve surgery. This Special Issue begins with an overview of the current neurophysiologic and imaging tests: preoperative diagnostic work-up and postoperative monitoring, to provide a clinical guide on the assessment of nerve injuries.
Then, we discuss nerve pain and dysfunction following surgery (e.g., in scar neuropathy or in recalcitrant compression neuropathy) and the treatment approaches. Using current literature, we summarize the analysis of reasons for treatment and the current clinical and surgical recommendations. Three papers of this Special Issue focus on different aspects of nerve pain, and suggest promising directions for research on the mechanism of nerve regeneration and nerve guidance (e.g., investigation of genetics and biochemical signaling) and novel therapeutic approaches (e.g., neurostimulation).
We also reviewed modern advances in surgical techniques for complex nerve injuries, such as vascularized nerve grafts, which are indicated for long nerve gaps and scarred beds, and nerve transfers, which are indicated for proximal nerve injuries.
Keywords
Nerve regeneration, nerve repair, nerve transfers, nerve grafts, scar neuropathy
Submission Deadline
10 Apr 2015
Plastic and Aesthetic Research
