Update on peripheral nerve injuries in Germany 2019-2023

Fractures and soft tissue damage are the main causes for traumatic peripheral nerve injuries. Discontinuity of peripheral nerve after injury results in loss of motor function or sensation or both combined. This is often associated with debilitating consequences for the affected person. Current data on the epidemiology of peripheral nerve injuries in Germany are scarce.

In a non-interventional retrospective population-based cohort study (registry-based), publicly available, anonymized patient data (2019-2023) were analyzed with respect to traumatic peripheral nerve injuries (PNI). Incidences regarding PNI in total and stratified to gender, age and anatomic regions were calculated and stratified to the official German reference population/100,000.

The incidence for a peripheral nerve injury in Germany as a concomitant trauma diagnosis is 11.27 (95CI 10.39; 12.2)/100,000. Males are more than twice as likely as females to have a PNI, with a ratio of 2.17:1. The most common site for PNI is the forearm, wrist, and hand. 55.83% (95CI 55.01; 56.65) are between the ages of 18-49. 22.88% of all registered peripheral nerve injuries are caused by a bone fracture.

In conclusion, a national mean incidence for traumatic peripheral nerve injuries was evaluated with 11.27 (95CI 10.39; 12.2) /100,000 stratified to the German standard population.