Methods and systems for preventing neuroma formations

1. A prophylactic method of preventing neuroma formation in nerve tissue associated with transection of a nerve during a medical intervention, the method comprising:

identifying a nerve extending across a transection path which separates a distal portion of the nerve from a proximal portion of the nerve; and

administering a prophylactic cooling therapy to the identified nerve at a location proximal to the transection path so as to degenerate the identified nerve across the transection path prior to a surgical transection along the transection path, wherein administering the cooling therapy prior to the surgical transection prevents or reduces neuroma formation at a transected end of the identified nerve after transection of the nerve.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising administering a repeated application of cooling therapy targeting a regeneration of the identified nerve at one or more locations along a length of the identified nerve and proximal to the regeneration of the nerve extending toward a location of the transection of the identified nerve.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the repeated application of cooling therapy reduces a regenerative rate of the identified nerve to less than 1 mm per day.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the regenerative rate of the identified nerve is reduced to less than 0.5 mm per day.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein administering the cooling therapy to the identified nerve comprises:

positioning a needle of a cryotherapy probe across the identified nerve;

aligning one or more visual indicia of the needle of the cryotherapy probe with the nerve, the visual indicia being indicative of a treatment area along a length of the needle; and

activating the cryotherapy probe to deliver the cooling therapy.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the visual indicia comprise a marker identifying a distal end of the treatment area along the length of the needle.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the visual indicia comprise a marker identifying a proximal end of the treatment area along the length of the needle.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein the visual indicia comprise a marker identifying a center of the treatment area along the length of the needle.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein administering the cooling therapy to the nerve comprises:

positioning a needle of a cryotherapy probe along a length of the identified nerve and activating the cryotherapy probe to deliver the cooling therapy.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the surgical transection separates a body extremity from a body of a patient to effect a surgical amputation.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the surgical amputation is performed after degeneration of the identified nerve across the transection path.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising administering a repeated application of cooling therapy targeting a regeneration of the identified nerve at one or more locations along a length of the identified nerve, wherein the repeated application of cooling therapy is administered over a period of one month to three months before the transection of the nerve.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising administering a repeated application of cooling therapy targeting a regeneration of the identified nerve at one or more locations along a length of the identified nerve, wherein the repeated application of cooling therapy is applied between a daily interval and a four week interval.

14. A method of transecting a nerve extending to a target tissue, the method comprising:

degenerating a portion of the nerve by performing a prophylactic treatment on the nerve at a treatment location along the nerve, wherein the treatment degenerates an axon of the nerve distal to the treatment location while preserving a connective tissue framework of the nerve;

after the prophylactic treatment, transecting the preserved connective tissue framework of the nerve at a transection location distal to the treatment location; and

repeatedly disrupting a regeneration of the nerve for a period of time so as to induce chronic denervation of the nerve, wherein the chronic denervation of the nerve reduces a regenerative rate of the nerve and delays neuroma formation at the transection location of the nerve.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein repeatedly disrupting the regeneration of the nerve comprises repeatedly applying cooling therapy to the nerve at a location proximal to the target tissue.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the repeated application of cooling therapy is administered over a period of one month to three months before the transection.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the repeated application of cooling therapy is applied between a daily interval and a four week interval.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the cooling therapy comprises:

positioning a needle of a cryotherapy probe across the nerve;

aligning visual indicia of the needle of the cryotherapy probe with the nerve, the visual indicia being indicative of a treatment area along a length of the needle; and

activating the cryotherapy probe to deliver the cooling therapy.

19. The method of claim 14 , wherein treating the nerve at the treatment location along the nerve while preserving a connective tissue framework of the nerve comprises applying thermal ablation therapy with a radiofrequency, ultrasound, microwave, or laser treatment of the nerve.

20. The method of claim 14 , wherein treating the nerve at the treatment location along the nerve while preserving a connective tissue framework of the nerve comprises applying a cooling therapy using a cryogenic cooling device.

21. The method of claim 14 , wherein the preserved connective tissue framework of the nerve is transected with a surgical amputation of a body extremity of a patient.