Traumatic neuroma
Traumatic neuromas are tumors produced by a reactive process to regenerate injured nerves that result in a disordered proliferation of nerve bundles. These tumors are usually related to previous surgery or trauma. Fan et al172 investigated the effects of LBPs on the formation of traumatic neuroma and pain after transection of sciatic nerve in rats. LBPs were intraperitoneally injected to the rats for 28 days. The study showed that there was less neuroma formed in the LBP-treated group than in the control group. Data from transmission electron microscopy showed that there were numerous axons in nerve tumor, more fusoid fibroblasts, more collagen fiber, and hyperplasia and degenerated myelin sheath in the control group, while in the LBP-treated group, there was less myelin sheath in the proximal end of injuring nerves, less Schwann cells and fibroblasts, and sparsed collagen fibers. LBPs can inhibit autophagy and the formation of traumatic neuroma after transection of sciatic nerve in rats.