It allows two sets of muscles in the neck to function: the sternomastoid muscles, which allow the head to tilt and rotate, and the trapezius muscles, which allow for several motions, such as shrugging the shoulder or moving the shoulder blades. The spinal accessory nerve is the 11th of 12 cranial nerves, which originate in the brain. One particular type of peripheral nerve damage is spinal accessory nerve injury. The only way to repair a fifth-degree injury is through surgery. Surgical intervention with nerve grafting is necessary to repair the injury.įifth degree: These injuries are usually found in laceration or severe stretch injuries. Electrical testing performed during surgery confirms that no electrical energy can be passed along the neural pathways in this injured nerve. Nerve conduction studies performed during surgery are often able to help indicate outcome and need for simple cleaning of the nerve (neurolysis) or a more extensive repair with grafting.įourth degree: In this case, there is damage to the axons and the surrounding tissues sufficient to create scarring that prevents nerve regeneration. In this case, recovery is difficult to predict. Third degree: There is damage to the axons and their supporting structures within the nerve. If this kind of injury can be confirmed through pre-operative nerve testing, surgical intervention is usually not required. Second degree: There is a loss of continuity of the axons (the “electrical wires”) within the nerve. This injury does not require surgical intervention and usually will recover within a matter of hours to a few weeks. Peripheral Nerve Injury ClassificationĪ classification system called the Sunderland classification system defines five different degrees of peripheral nerve injury:įirst degree: A reversible local conduction block at the site of the injury. People with traumatic nerve damage can experience severe, unrelenting pain, burning sensation, tingling or total loss of sensation in the part of the body affected by the damaged nerve. Laceration (a cut or tear in the nerve tissue) Injury to the peripheral nerve network can happen through: Injuries may be treated with nonsurgical or surgical therapy. Peripheral nerve injuries can be mild or serious, and can be graded on the Sunderland scale, which defines five degrees of severity. Peripheral Nerve Injury: What You Need to Know

Free nerve endings of sensory neurons