Nerve transfers in tetraplegia I: Background and technique.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The recovery of hand function is consistently rated as the highest priority for persons with tetraplegia. Recovering even partial arm and hand function can have an enormous impact on independence and quality of life of an individual. Currently, tendon transfers are the accepted modality for improving hand function. In this procedure, the distal end of a functional muscle is cut and reattached at the insertion site of a nonfunctional muscle. The tendon transfer sacrifices the function at a lesser location to provide function at a more important location. Nerve transfers are conceptually similar to tendon transfers and involve cutting and connecting a healthy but less critical nerve to a more important but paralyzed nerve to restore its function.

Methods

We present

SUBMITTER: Brown JM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3172032 | biostudies-literature | 2011

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature