Nerve and muscle: nerve injury grading: practice question

A Physiology question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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Physiology · Nerve and muscle: nerve injury grading

Sample item

After a severe traction injury, a nerve shows complete loss of axons and its connective tissue sheaths are intact. Which outcome is most likely if the cause is removed?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

A. Good recovery as regrowing axons follow the intact endoneurial tubes

When the endoneurial tubes remain intact, regenerating axons are guided back to their original targets, so recovery can be good though slow, at roughly a millimetre a day. When the tubes are disrupted, axons may stray and recovery needs surgery.

Option by option

  • A. Good recovery as regrowing axons follow the intact endoneurial tubes (correct)

    Correct. Intact sheaths guide regrowing axons to their targets.

  • B. Recovery only if scar tissue is excised

    Scar excision is needed when sheaths are disrupted, not when they are intact.

  • C. No recovery because the cell body dies

    The cell body usually survives a distal injury and mounts a regenerative response.

  • D. Immediate recovery within hours

    Axonal regrowth is slow and cannot occur within hours.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

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Questions about this Physiology question

What is the answer to this Physiology question?

The best answer is A, Good recovery as regrowing axons follow the intact endoneurial tubes. When the endoneurial tubes remain intact, regenerating axons are guided back to their original targets, so recovery can be good though slow, at roughly a millimetre a day.

Why is "Recovery only if scar tissue is excised" not the answer?

Scar excision is needed when sheaths are disrupted, not when they are intact.

Why is "No recovery because the cell body dies" not the answer?

The cell body usually survives a distal injury and mounts a regenerative response.

Why is "Immediate recovery within hours" not the answer?

Axonal regrowth is slow and cannot occur within hours.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Nerve and muscle: nerve injury grading in Physiology. When the tubes are disrupted, axons may stray and recovery needs surgery.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as a multi-step question: it asks you to combine more than one idea. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Nerve and muscle: nerve injury grading?

For each system, sketch the key graph (pressure–volume loop, oxygen dissociation curve, nephron handling) and explain it aloud. Then use the flashcards and the other Physiology questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.