Nerve injuries have significant health, social and cost implications
Nerve injury has significant health, social and cost implications:
• Permanent disability despite surgical intervention
• Constant pain (56%), Adverse impact on daily life (71%), dexterity (97%), Cold sensation (79 %), reduced function(91%)
• 20-30% of nerve gap patients experience poor recovery of sensation
• cost implications estimated to be EUR 51,238 per person (2005)
Current Gold Standard – Autographting has several disadvantages:
• Time-consuming and long surgical preparation time
• Harvest Donor site deficit
• Finite resource
• Risk of donor site morbidity and second surgical procedure