Nerve Repair - Hardcover

"In this outstanding volume, Thomas Brushart presents to us the biological and scientific background to todays concepts of nerve repair - which he reviews and describes in great detail. His text spans an enormous panorama - from laboratory to operating theater, from mechanoreceptor to brain cortex, from surgical technique to evaluation of clinical outcome, from touch to motion. He presents to us the mystery behind axonal regeneration and orientation, however always with a focus on the nerve-injured patient....This is an exceptional piece of work which will remain a true classic over many years to come for everyone interested in peripheral nerve problems." -- Professor Goran Lundborg, Department of Hand Surgery, Lund University, Skane University Hospital, Malmo, Sweden "Tom Brushart, as a leading nerve repair surgeon and experimentalist has taken on this monumental task. Nerve Repair is not intended to be a surgical manual of nerve repair techniques....Instead [Brushart] has laid out the entire theoretical and experimental basis...of peripheral nerve repair. The result is a wonderful book that will be valuable to both clinicians and basic scientists...This book is a huge undertaking by a single author who is an expert in clinical and experimental nerve repair, full of insights and thoughts about the future. Its focus on research; clinical, animal and basic neurobiology makes it essential reading for anyone involved in nerve repair." -- James W. Fawcett, PhD, FRCP, Chairman, Cambridge University Centre for Brain Repair, UK "Dr. Brushart provides us with a novel, comprehensive and critical account of the normal and injured peripheral nerve. It spans the anatomy, physiology, neuropathology and molecular biology of the normal nerve and the changes that occur after injury and repair ... [forming] the basis for the unique and clinically invaluable, scientific evaluation of clinical outcomes of the current surgical methods of nerve repair.....This book promi "In this outstanding volume Thomas Brushart presents to us the biological and scientific background to today?'s concepts of nerve repair - which he reviews and describes in all details. His text spans over an enormous panorama - from laboratory to operating theater, from mechanoreceptor to brain cortex, from surgical technique to evaluation of clinical outcome, from touch to motion. He presents to us the mystery behind axonal regeneration and orientation, however always with focus on the nerve-injured patient. The text is based on the authors recognition as a highly respected neuroscientist as well as his clinical knowledge and role as an experienced hand surgeon. This is an exceptional piece of of work which will remain a true classic over many years to come for everyone interested in peripheral nerve problems." -- Professor G ran Lundborg, Department of Hand Surgery, Lund University, Skane University Hospital, Malm, Sweden "Nerve Repair is not intended to be a surgica

Peripheral nerves are biologic wires that convey the desire for motion from brain to muscle, and the experience of touch from skin to brain. When a nerve is cut, the individual fibers, or axons, must regenerate from the site of injury to reconnect with their skin and muscle targets. Nerve regeneration is a process of bewildering complexity that requires the coordinated action of multiple biologic systems. Gene expression within the neuron is altered to support axon growth, regenerating axons must cross the complex environment of the nerve injury and enter pathways that lead to functionally appropriate end organs, Wallerian degeneration clears these pathways of axon debris, and Schwann cells in the distal nerve must produce growth factors to support regeneration. In spite of this complexity, the surgical repair of transected nerve remains a mechanical process that has changed little in the last century, and that restores normal function to only 10% of adults with nerve injuries.

Improving the outcome of nerve repair will require close cooperation between surgeon and scientist. Skyrocketing clinical demands on the surgeon and the rapidly increasing sophistication of neuroscience have interacted to form two distinct cultures. Nerve Repair bridges these cultures by providing a translational review of the clinical and basic science relevant to nerve repair. It provides the clinician with an understanding of pertinent research, and the basic scientist with an overview of the clinical manifestations of nerve injury and regeneration. It is also grounded in the history of peripheral nerve surgery and biology so that modern concepts can be understood in the context of their origins.