Which term describes a nerve injury with little to no axonal damage and full recovery?

Which term describes a nerve injury with little to no axonal damage and full recovery?

• A. Axonotmesis
• B. Neurotmesis
• C. Neuropraxia
• D. Neurapraxia

Answer: (C)

This question is about how nerve injuries are graded by severity and recovery potential. Neuropraxia is the term for a nerve injury that causes a conduction block with essentially no axonal damage. The axon itself and the surrounding endoneurial structures stay intact, so there’s no Wallerian degeneration distal to the site.

Because the axon is preserved, the nerve can quickly regain function as the myelin sheath heals and remyelination occurs. Recovery is typically complete and occurs over days to weeks, without the need for axonal regrowth.

In contrast, axonotmesis involves disruption of the axon with preserved connective tissue framework, leading to slower recovery as axonal regrowth is required. Neurotmesis (complete nerve rupture) has the poorest prognosis without surgical repair.

A commonly used term for this phenomenon is neuropraxia (also sometimes called neurapraxia in some texts), which matches the description of little to no axonal damage with full recovery.