Neurorrhaphy

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The surgical procedure of suturing or repairing a divided nerve to restore its continuity and function
2. A medical technique involving the careful stitching together of severed nerve fibers to promote healing and nerve regeneration
3. An operative method for connecting nerve ends by sewing them to facilitate recovery of nerve transmission and sensation

Etymology: "Neurorrhaphy" is built from two Greek-derived pieces. The first, "neuro-", comes from Greek "neuron", meaning sinew, tendon or nerve, and it is the familiar prefix behind words like neurology. The second, "-rrhaphy", comes from Greek "rhaphē", meaning a seam or stitch, the same root that gives English words for surgical suturing such as "rhaphe", the ridge-like seam on various body parts. Put together, the word literally means "nerve-stitching": the surgical act of sewing severed nerve ends back together. The pattern is a standard one in medical vocabulary, where "-rrhaphy" marks a suture procedure, so "enterorrhaphy" means stitching the intestine and "tenorrhaphy" means stitching a tendon. Surgeons coined these compounds from classical roots, so the word reflects modern medicine rather than any ancient practice.

Synonyms: nerve repair, nerve suturing, nerve anastomosis