Nerve transfer to biceps muscle using a part of ulnar nerve for elbow flexion restoration in acute and delayed upper brachial plexus injury / 中国矫形外科杂志

ABSTRACT

[Objective]The purpose of this study was to describe mid report the result of the ulnar nerve transfer to biceps muscle to restore elbow flexion after acute and delayed upper brachial plexus injuries.[Methods]Two patients with acute brachial plexus injury (the time between the injury and the operation were six and eight months) and three patients with delayed brachial plexus injury(the time between the injury and the operation were from twevle to eighteen months) underwent nerve transfer using fascicles of the ulnar nerve to the motor branch of the biceis muscle. The average age of the patients was twenty eight and the mean follow-up periods were nine months after the surgery. Patients were evaluated with regard to reinnervation of the biceps, ulnar nerve function, elbow flexion strength, and grip strength.[Results]For the two acute patients, the first sign of biceps muscle contraction were observed within 1 week, the average time required for reinnervation of the biceps after nerve fascicle transfer was within six months. For the three delayed patients, the first sign of bicep muscle contraction was observed in about three month, and the average time required for reinnervation of the biceps was ten months.Hypoesthesia of the ulnar nerve was clinically abserved in three patients, but this symptom disappeared within month with no treatment.Compared with those delayed cases, the acute patients had faster and better recovery of their olbow flexion function.However, all patients achieved grade-3 or better elbow flexion strength according to the grading system of the Medical Research Council.[Conclusion]The author recommend this safe, simple and effective Oberlin procedure for brachial plexus injuries involving the C5、6 or C5~7 nerve roots.