When possible, direct repair remains the current standard of care for the repair of peripheral nerve lacerations. In large nerve gaps, in which direct repair is not possible, grafting remains the most viable option. Nerve scaffolds include autologous conduits, artificial nonbioabsorbable conduits, and bioabsorbable conduits and are options for repair of digital nerve gaps that are <3 cm in length. Experimental studies suggest that the use of allografts may be an option for repairing larger sensory nerve gaps without associated donor-site morbidity.

There were consistent differences among the local anesthetics, the sum of which suggests that larger doses and blood concentrations of ropivacaine (ROP) and lidocaine will be tolerated as compared with bupivacaine (BUP) and levobupivacaine (LBUP). Lidocaine intoxication results in myocardial depression from which resuscitation is consistently successful but will require continuing drug support. After BUP, LBUP, or ROP, resuscitation is not always successful, and the administration of epinephrine may lead to severe arrhythmias. The unbound plasma concentrations at collapse were larger for ROP compared with BUP, whereas the concentrations of LBUP and BUP were not significantly different from each other. Furthermore, larger plasma concentrations of ROP than BUP are present after resuscitation, suggesting a wider margin of safety when large volumes and large concentrations are used to establish upper or lower extremity nerve blocks for surgical anesthesia and during long-term infusions for pain management.

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