Peripheral Nerve Injuries and Regeneration

Peripheral nerves are a system consisting of various nerve fibers named according to the functions they stimulate in the target organ that provides motor and sensory stimulation between the central nervous system and peripheral organs. Peripheral nerves, which are quite open to trauma, are injured for different reasons. Damage to the peripheral nerves negatively affects the motor and sensory stimulation of the person. After peripheral injuries, degenerative processes are initiated due to damage to the peripheral nerve. In injuries that interrupt the axonal continuity, the distal parts of the axon degenerate because the metabolic events required for the continuity of the nerve function cannot occur in the axon. Schwann cell dedifferentiation, proliferation and remyelination play an important role in peripheral nerve regeneration. The regenerative process is a process where many factors work together. In this review, the regeneration process after peripheral nerve injuries, neurotrophic factors affecting regeneration and the mechanisms of action of different methods used in the treatment process are discussed.