Peripheral nerves are found in our arms and legs, where they control movement and enable perception of the world through touch. These nerves commonly get injured, either suddenly through trauma (accidents) or gradually by compression in tight spaces like the wrist. While peripheral nerves can and do heal, the process is imperfect. Injuries often leave patients with devastating consequences including pain, numbness and even paralysis.
“I am very grateful to the MRC for funding my DPhil," said Max. "I hope to discover new treatments for peripheral nerve injury which is a significant problem for many patients.”
“The aim of my research is to explore how using electricity to stimulate nerves can improve outcomes in nerve repair surgery. Electrical stimulation is one of the few new treatments for nerve injury that shows promise for translation into humans in the near future. My work focuses on carpal tunnel syndrome, the commonest form of nerve injury in the UK. I'm lucky to be supervised by a fantastic team that includes reconstructive surgeons and clinical trial experts here in NDORMS, along with neurosurgeons, engineers, basic scientists and neurophysiologists from the Department of Clinical Neurosciences and the Department of Surgical Sciences at the University,” added Max.