Nothing to lose: a phenomenological study of upper limb nerve transfer surgery for individuals with tetraplegia

SummaryPhantom limb phenomena during the post-operative period were studied in 72 amputees. All were right handed. Phantom limb was present in 86.1 per cent of the cases, significantly more commonly following amputation of the right arm. Nearly half of the phantoms developed within the first 24 hours and another quarter in the next 24 hours, appearing earlier in lower limb amputees. Movements in the phantom were felt by three-quarters of the cases, an incidence unaffected by site or side of amputation. Telescopy was present in nearly two-thirds and phantom limb pain in over two-thirds, significantly more commonly in the upper limb amputees but uninfluenced by the side of amputation. Thirty-one of the patients dreamed that their limbs were intact.

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Nerve Transfer for Restoration of Upper Limb Function in Traumatic Cervical Spinal Cord Injury

Hand ◽

10.1177/1558944716660555fe ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 11 (1_suppl) ◽

pp. 85S-85S

Author(s):

Joseph Ward ◽

Bafiq Nizar ◽

Simon Tan ◽

Dominic Power

Keyword(s):

Spinal Cord ◽

Spinal Cord Injury ◽

Upper Limb ◽

Cervical Spinal Cord ◽

Nerve Transfer ◽

Cervical Spinal Cord Injury ◽

Limb Function ◽

Upper Limb Function ◽

Cord Injury

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Upper Limb Reinnervation in C6 Tetraplegia Using a Triple Nerve Transfer: Case Report

The Journal Of Hand Surgery ◽

10.1016/j.jhsa.2014.06.017 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 39 (9) ◽

pp. 1779-1783 ◽

Cited By ~ 43

Author(s):

Natasha van Zyl ◽

Jodie B. Hahn ◽

Catherine A. Cooper ◽

Michael D. Weymouth ◽

Stephen J. Flood ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Case Report ◽

Upper Limb ◽

Nerve Transfer ◽

Transfer Case

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Nerve transfers for peripheral nerve injury in the upper limb

The Bone & Joint Journal ◽

10.1302/0301-620x.101b2.bjj-2018-0839.r1 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 101-B (2) ◽

pp. 124-131 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

J. Isaacs ◽

A. R. Cochran

Keyword(s):

Peripheral Nerve ◽

Nerve Injury ◽

Upper Limb ◽

Nerve Repair ◽

Nerve Transfer ◽

Elbow Flexion ◽

Axillary Nerve ◽

Nerve Transfers ◽

Sensory Recovery ◽

Potential Benefits

Nerve transfer has become a common and often effective reconstructive strategy for proximal and complex peripheral nerve injuries of the upper limb. This case-based discussion explores the principles and potential benefits of nerve transfer surgery and offers in-depth discussion of several established and valuable techniques including: motor transfer for elbow flexion after musculocutaneous nerve injury, deltoid reanimation for axillary nerve palsy, intrinsic re-innervation following proximal ulnar nerve repair, and critical sensory recovery despite non-reconstructable median nerve lesions.

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