In axonotmesis, which feature is characteristic?

Prepare for the Tissue Injury, Healing, and Pain Test. Utilize flashcards and multiple-choice questions with hints and explanations. Ensure you're ready for the exam!

Multiple Choice

In axonotmesis, which feature is characteristic?

In axonotmesis, the key feature is disruption of the axon and its myelin, but the connective tissue sheaths (endoneurium and perineurium, with the outer epineurium) remain intact. This preserved scaffold allows regenerating axons to grow along the existing tubular pathways toward their targets, enabling potential recovery over time. Wallerian degeneration occurs distal to the injury, but because the connective tissue framework is preserved, the regrowth is guided and more likely to restore function. By contrast, a nerve with the axon intact but only mild demyelination describes neurapraxia, while a completely transected nerve describes neurotmesis. Damaging only the epineurium doesn’t fit the typical axonotmesis pattern and would disrupt the nerve’s internal guidance more broadly.

In axonotmesis, the key feature is disruption of the axon and its myelin, but the connective tissue sheaths (endoneurium and perineurium, with the outer epineurium) remain intact. This preserved scaffold allows regenerating axons to grow along the existing tubular pathways toward their targets, enabling potential recovery over time. Wallerian degeneration occurs distal to the injury, but because the connective tissue framework is preserved, the regrowth is guided and more likely to restore function. By contrast, a nerve with the axon intact but only mild demyelination describes neurapraxia, while a completely transected nerve describes neurotmesis. Damaging only the epineurium doesn’t fit the typical axonotmesis pattern and would disrupt the nerve’s internal guidance more broadly.

More practice questions