Peripheral nerve surgery: primer for the imagers.

Peripheral nerve surgery represents a broad field of pathologic conditions, medical specialties, and anatomic regions of the body. Anatomic understanding of hierarchical nerve structure and the peripheral nervous system aids diagnosis and management of nerve lesions. Many peripheral nerves coalesce into organized arrays, including the cervical, brachial, and lumbosacral plexuses, controlling motor and sensory functions of the trunk and extremities. Individual or groups of nerves may be affected by various pathologic conditions, including trauma, entrapment, tumor, or iatrogenic damage. Current research efforts focus on enhancing the peripheral nerve regenerative process by targeting Schwann cells, nerve growth factors, and nerve allografts.