What is a common cause of neurapraxia?

Neurapraxia is a type of peripheral nerve injury characterized by a temporary loss of motor and sensory function due to a blockage of nerve conduction without any anatomical disruption of the nerve. Compression of a nerve is a frequent cause of neurapraxia because it leads to a temporary interruption of nerve impulses. This occurs when pressure is applied to the nerve, which can happen in scenarios such as prolonged positions impacting limbs, direct trauma, or swelling surrounding a nerve. The compression alters the ionic environment and disrupts the conduction of impulses, yet the nerve fibers themselves remain intact.

In contrast, other options like nerve cutting, trauma to the spinal cord, and infection involve different mechanisms of injury, usually leading to more severe types of nerve damage, such as axonotmesis or neurotmesis, rather than the temporary conduction block seen in neurapraxia.