Background: Presented are results of neurolysis of peripheral nerves in the extremities carried out in a period of 18 years, 1985 through 2003. Patients and methods: Eighty-two patients have been treated surgically with neurolysis of 49 nerves in the upper extremities and 33 in the lower extremities. The patients comprised 57 males and 25 females,mean age 32 years. The average time lapse between accident and surgical intervention was 6.9 months, in five patients being extremely long - over 12 months. The interventions were performed in patients in whom there was a complete or persisting neurological deficit. In 82 patients there has been performed external neurolysis, of whomin 5 patients there was neurolysis of two nerves, and in 5 patients also internal neurolysis. A repeated intervention was in five cases. Cases that required a resection of fascicles and reconstruction with the aid of autotransplants, as well as cases in which there were reconstructive interventions, were not included in the present report. An analysis of the results was made in view of the time lapse between accident and intervention, age of the patient, kind of impaired nerve and the degree of fibrotic alterations found on surgical intervention. Results: The best results were observed in patients under 20 years of age, in cases of timely treatment, in distal injuries and neurolysis of n. tibialis and n. radialis. Conclusion: A timely surgical revision in indicated cases is the decisive factor determining the outcome of the intervention.

        Key words: traumatic lesions - peripheral nerves - neurolysis.