Selective peripheral nerve transfers represent an emerging reconstructive strategy in the management of both pediatric and adult brachial plexus and peripheral nerve injuries. Transfer of the lateral antebrachial cutaneous nerve of the forearm into the distal ulnar nerve is a useful means to restore sensibility to the ulnar side of the hand when indicated. This technique is particularly valuabl...

Avulsion of spinal nerve roots in the brachial plexus (BP) can be repaired by crossing nerve transfer via a nerve graft to connect injured nerve ends to the BP contralateral to the lesioned side. Sensory recovery in these patients suggests that the contralateral primary somatosensory cortex (S1) is activated by afferent inputs that bypassed to the contralateral BP. To confirm this hypothesis, t...

between 1371 to 1379, of 10 patients with radial tunnel syndrome, 9 patients were treated by decompression of the posterior interosseous nerve. 8 patients were followed up more than 10 months. one patient improved without surgery. half of the patients suffered from pain and all of them had variable degrees of paralysis in muscles innervated by deep branch of the radial nerve. the syndrome was d...

Nerve transfer surgery, also referred to neurotization, developed in the mid 1800s with the use of animal models, and was later applied in the treatment of brachial plexus injuries. Neurotization is based on the concept that following a proximal nerve lesion with a poor prognosis, expendable motor or sensory nerves can be re-directed in proximity of a specific target, whether a muscle or skin t...

1. Merrell GA, Barrie KA, Katz DL, Wolfe SW. Results of nerve transfer techniques for restoration of shoulder and elbow function in the context of a meta-analysis of the English literature. J Hand Surg Am. 2001;26(2):303–14. 2. Nagano A. Intercostal nerve transfer for elbow flexion. Tech Hand Up Extrem Surg. 2001;5(3):136–40. 3. Xiao C, Lao J, Wang T, Zhao X, Liu J, Gu Y. Intercostal nerve tran...

Facial palsy resulting from loss of the intracranial portion of the facial nerve has been reconstructed traditionally by transferring motor axons from the hypoglossal nerve to the facial nerve.1–4 This approach can reinnervate the facial muscles if it is done before these muscles have undergone irreversible atrophy, eliminating the need for a free-muscle transfer. The two major disadvantages of...

BACKGROUND In the restoration of elbow flexion, the phrenic nerve has proven to be a good donor, but considering the role of the phrenic nerve in respiratory function, we cannot disregard the potential dangers of this method. OBJECTIVES In the current study, we reviewed the results of pulmonary function tests (PFT) in four patients who underwent phrenic nerve transfer. PATIENTS AND METHODS ...

In the treatment of brachial plexus injury, nerves that are functionally less important are transferred onto the distal ends of damaged crucial nerves to help recover neuromuscular function in the target region. For example, intercostal nerves are transferred onto axillary nerves, and accessory nerves are transferred onto suprascapular nerves, the phrenic nerve is transferred onto the musculocu...

Intraplexal nerve transfer is defined as nerve transfer of a nerve within the brachial plexus with intact spinal cord connections to a more important injured nerve. For elbow flexion, the most popular one for the upper arm brachial plexus injury is the “Oberlin” nerve transfer. Transferring a part of the ulnar nerve to the branch to the biceps (Oberlin 1) and possibly transferring a part of the...