Animal Models of Neuroma
Models for studying why nerves fail to regenerate, leading to painful neuroma.
Neuroma results from hypercellular and proliferative outgrowth following a nerve injury, such as crush, stretch, or transection. In many cases, the blood-nerve barrier is disrupted leading to allodynia or an increased response of nerves and pain sensitization, causing a pain response from stimuli that doesn't normally provoke pain.
Animal Models of Neuroma
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Stretch-induced Nerve Injury
Models of nerve injury are useful in evaluating compound effects on nerve regeneration. The stretch model is a model of nerve injury that involves a later onset of functional recovery compared to the crush model. Neuroma develops at day 54.
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Spared Nerve Injury (SNI)
The Spared Nerve Injury (SNI) model is a partial denervation model, in which the common peroneal and tibial nerves are injured, producing consistent and reproducible tactile hypersensitivity in the skin territory of the spared, intact sural nerve. It is commonly used to study neuroma that forms at 28 days following surgery.
Readouts:
- Histology
- Dynamic weight bearing (DWB)
- Catwalk Analysis
- Electrophysiology
Neuroma Formation
Sample from day 54 in the mouse Spared Nerve Injury Model (SNI). Composite photo of a nerve (arrows on left) becoming a neuroma (boxed) which grows into the surrounding soft tissue.

Histopathological score at 28 and 54 days post surgery.
