Causes of Nerve Injury

• Common causes of nerve injury pt1:

  • laceration
  • a cut through a nerve e.g. knife
  • blunt trauma
  • high impact to an area in the body where nerves pass by e.g. punch
  • focal contusion
  • completely severing/impacting a nerve e.g. gunshot wounds
  • stretch/traction injury
  • nerve held in lengthened/sustained position for long duration or sudden stretching force e.g. sudden stretch of head away from neck after falling
  • more commonly seen nerve injury in physiotherapy
  • compression
  • sustained squeezing force on a nerve e.g. dislocated joint compressing on nerve
• Common causes of nerve injury pt2:

  • inflammatory processes
  • systemic illness/viral infection affecting nerves, neurological symptoms go on for about a week
  • most common in upper limb is brachial plexitis - inflammation of the brachial plexus due to systemic illness
  • neuropathies
  • bilateral pain that doesnt fit a dermatomal distribution (if it doesnt fit dermatomal distribution, its unlikely to be caused by a nerve root
  • genetic link
• Risk factors for nerve injury:

  • superficial position
  • a long course through area at high risk of trauma
  • narrow path through a bony canal