The pathogenesis of non-freezing cold nerve injury. Observations in the rat.

Non-freezing cold nerve injury is uncommon in civilian practice, but may reach epidemic proportions in war zones. Studied since the time of Hippocrates, its aetiology has remained elusive. We sought to replicate experimentally, a peripheral nerve cold temperature gradient, since this has been emphasized in clinical descriptions. Our observations, in the rat, of the vasa nervorum show that cold-induced intravascular aggregation is followed by a 'no-reflow' phenomenon which culminates in endothelial damage and delayed thrombotic occlusion.