A New Classification of Iatrogenic Peripheral Nerve Injuries

Abstract

Iatrogenic causes of nerve injuries make up to 17.4% of all traumatic peripheral nerve injuries. Despite significant medicolegal implications, there is no accepted classification system. In this article we propose a new classification system for iatrogenic peripheral nerve injuries: 1) Injury to the nerve when the nerve was not the target of the treatment; 2) Injury to the nerve when the nerve was targeted for intervention but not repair; 3) Injury to the nerve when the nerve was targeted for harvest or repair of another nerve.