Bands of Büngner

Longitudinal columns of proliferating Schwann cells that fill the empty endoneurial tubes of the distal nerve stump after Wallerian degeneration and guide regenerating axons back towards their targets. Their growth-supportive state is time-limited, which is one reason delayed repair does badly.

Related terms

• Condition

  Wallerian degeneration

  The programmed breakdown of the axon and its myelin distal to a nerve injury that has interrupted the axon, beginning within 24–48 hours. Schwann cells shed myelin and proliferate, macrophages clear the debris, and the empty endoneurial tubes are lined by bands of Büngner along which regenerating axons later grow. It does not occur in neurapraxia.

• Anatomy

  Endoneurium

  The innermost connective-tissue layer of a peripheral nerve, enclosing each axon and its Schwann cells within the fascicle bounded by the perineurium. The endoneurial tube guides regenerating axons back to their original targets; its preservation distinguishes a second-degree (fully recovering) injury from a third-degree one.

Articles mentioning this term

1. FESSH preparation · 26 September 2026

   Peripheral nerve injury and repair

   Peripheral nerve injury for FESSH candidates: degeneration, Seddon and Sunderland grades, electrodiagnosis, timing, grafts, conduits and nerve transfers.

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