Certified Surgical Technologist (CST) Practice Exam

The term that refers to the mass of tissue that forms a bridge across a damaged nerve is known as a nerve graft. This procedure involves taking a segment of nerve tissue from another part of the body or using a synthetic substitute to provide a conduit for nerve growth across the injury site.

Nerve grafting is a critical surgical technique used in cases of nerve injury where there is a gap between two ends of a severed nerve. By providing a graft, the procedure enhances the chances of regeneration, allowing the nerve fibers to regrow and restore function to the affected area.

Other options, while related to nerve repair or regeneration, do not specifically refer to this bridging tissue. Neurolysis involves the process of freeing up a nerve from surrounding scar tissue, neuroma is a painful growth that can develop at the site of a nerve injury, and neurotization refers to the process of redirecting nerve fibers, which does not inherently imply the creation of a bridging tissue.