Which statement best defines a neuroma in the context of post-amputation pain?

Which statement best defines a neuroma in the context of post-amputation pain?

• A. A ball of nerve tissue that forms when the end of the nerve sprouts new axons; pressure on the limb can cause pain
• B. A ball of scar tissue at the stump
• C. An infection at the incision
• D. A vascular tumor at the stump

Answer: (D)

Nerves cut during amputation try to regrow, and sometimes the regenerating axons form a disorganized mass at the stump called a neuroma. This ball of nerve tissue can be painful, especially when pressed or stressed, because the regenerating fibers are hyper-excitable and may generate abnormal impulses that are felt as pain. This description—a ball of nerve tissue at the end of the severed nerve with pain triggered by pressure—best matches the clinical picture of a post-amputation neuroma. Scar tissue at the stump is fibrous tissue, not a nerve mass and typically behaves differently. An infection would show signs such as redness, warmth, drainage, or systemic symptoms. A vascular tumor at the stump is not the usual source of post-amputation neuropathic pain.

Nerves cut during amputation try to regrow, and sometimes the regenerating axons form a disorganized mass at the stump called a neuroma. This ball of nerve tissue can be painful, especially when pressed or stressed, because the regenerating fibers are hyper-excitable and may generate abnormal impulses that are felt as pain. This description—a ball of nerve tissue at the end of the severed nerve with pain triggered by pressure—best matches the clinical picture of a post-amputation neuroma.

Scar tissue at the stump is fibrous tissue, not a nerve mass and typically behaves differently. An infection would show signs such as redness, warmth, drainage, or systemic symptoms. A vascular tumor at the stump is not the usual source of post-amputation neuropathic pain.