Comparison of Autograft, Allograft, and Conduits for Peripheral Upper Extremity Nerve Repair A Critical Review of the Current State of Bone Grafting in Orthopaedic Surgery

Authors

Samantha Meacock, Thomas Jefferson UniversityFollow

Abstract

Introduction

Several mechanisms of injury can cause peripheral nerve injury (PNI) and subsequent impaired quality of life with loss of motor and/or sensory function. Trauma is a common cause of injury with the most commonly injured nerves being the radial (53%), ulnar (32%), and median nerves (15%).¹ The preferred treatment for PNI is reconnecting severed nerve ends anatomically with tension-free end-to-end direct nerve repair of healthy fascicles. However, if the nerve ends cannot be brought together without tension, gapping can occur, and a direct tension-less repair is not possible.⁵ In the case of a lengthy nerve gap, a bridge for the gap can be provided by autograft, conduit, or allograft.

Recommended Citation

Meacock, Samantha (2025) "Comparison of Autograft, Allograft, and Conduits for Peripheral Upper Extremity Nerve Repair A Critical Review of the Current State of Bone Grafting in Orthopaedic Surgery," Bone Bulletin: Vol. 3: Iss. 1, Article 14.
Available at: https://jdc.jefferson.edu/bone_bulletin/vol3/iss1/14