title: Morbidity following sural nerve harvesting: a prospective study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate donor site morbidity following sural nerve harvesting, with special attention to the recovery of sensory loss.
  
  
  METHODS
  We prospectively followed 38 subjects who underwent sural nerve harvest, including two with bilateral nerve excision. Symptoms related to sural nerve excision were evaluated and demarcation of the area with reduced touch sensation was quantified. Assessments were performed periodically up to 1 year after surgery and the results of different sensory evaluations were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A significant reduction of sensory deficit was identified between consecutive evaluations (p<0.05). Decreases of 26.85%, 20.69% and 24.29% were observed 3, 6 and 12 months after surgery, respectively. Shock-like pain (7.5%), stabbing pain (7.5%), and numbness (5%) were the most frequently reported symptoms. All symptoms were brief and resolved spontaneously 3-6 months after surgery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sural nerve harvest can be performed with acceptable morbidity. When present, symptoms resolve between the third and sixth month after surgery and a significant reduction of sensory loss in the area innervated by the sural nerve was observed during the first year of follow-up.
authors.affiliation: Peripheral Nerve Surgery Unit, Department of Neurosurgery, São Paulo University, School of Medicine, Brazil. robar@ig.com.br
authors.forename: Roberto S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.forename: Rafael A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Barbosa
authors.forename: Mario G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Siqueira
authors.forename: Matheus S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Soares
authors.forename: Carlos Otto
authors.initials: CO
authors.lastname: Heise
authors.forename: Luciano
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Foroni
authors.forename: Manoel J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Teixeira
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006987:Hypesthesia / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D009017:Morbidity; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000209:etiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013497:Sural Nerve / Q000637:transplantation*; D014019:Tissue Donors; D020858:Tissue and Organ Harvesting; D014110:Touch / Q000502:physiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult