Contralateral hemi-fifth-lumbar nerve transfer for unilateral lower limb dysfunction due to incomplete traumatic spinal cord injury: A report of two cases.

Current strategies for the chronic stage of spinal cord injury (SCI) had seen little progress. In this report, we present the use of contralateral L5 nerve transfer for the treatment of incomplete SCI patients with unilateral lower limb dysfunction in two male patients. One was diagnosed with L2 vertebral fracture and dislocation combined with coni medullaris injury 10 months prior, and the other was diagnosed with T6 and T7 vertebral fractures with SCI 24 months prior. The patients were treated with decompression surgery within 24 hr after injury. The patients reached a recovery plateau after 6-8 months of spontaneous recovery of locomotion and sustained paralysis in the right leg and were left confined to the wheelchair. The score on the lower-extremity Fugl-Meyer assessment (FMA-LE) was 7 for both patients. The patients were then enrolled, and they underwent half of the anterior root of the contralateral L5 transfer to S1 and S2 to improve lower limb motor function. A posterior approach was performed to expose the L5, S1, and S2 nerve roots. Half of the anterior root of the left L5 was cut, and end-to-end neurorrhaphy from the left L5 to the right S1 and S2 was performed subdurally. After the surgery, routine rehabilitation treatments were prescribed. Muscle strength decreased transiently in the donor-side before recovering within 12 months postoperatively. Muscle strength was significantly improved on the affected side 2 years postoperatively, when the FMA-LE scores increased to 14 and 15, respectively. The patients regained independent walking ability with crutches. This report suggests that contralateral hemi-5th-lumbar nerve transfer is safe and can benefit incomplete SCI patients with unilateral lower limb dysfunction.

Contralateral Lumbar to Sacral Nerve Rerouting for Hemiplegic Patients After Stroke: A Clinical Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND: Spasticity and muscle weakness are common severe neurologic sequelae after stroke. Contralateral peripheral neurotization has been applied successfully to promote motor function of the hemiplegic upper extremity in patients with central neurological injury. To our knowledge, we present the first report of contralateral lumbar to sacral nerve transfer for the lower extremities in hemiplegic patients after stroke. CASE DESCRIPTION: Two patients were enrolled in the study. The first patient is a 57-year-old man who experienced permanent muscle weakness in his left leg after a right cerebral infarction. The second patient is a 42-year-old man who had spasticity and hemiplegia in both upper and lower limbs on the right side 32 months after a left cerebral hemorrhage. Both patients underwent contralateral lumbar-to-sacral nerve rerouting to improve lower-limb motor function. Twenty months after surgery, both patients experienced significant improvement in ambulatory status. CONCLUSIONS: Although long-term follow-up and a randomized controlled trial are required, this study demonstrates the safety and possible benefits of contralateral lumbar-to-sacral nerve transfer for hemiplegic patients after stroke. This novel surgical approach could provide a new means for lower-limb motor functional recovery.

[An electrophysiological study on the artificial somato-autonomic pathway for inducing voiding].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the possibility of regeneration of somatic motor nerve to replace splanchnic nerve and the electrophysiologic characters of the regenerated nerve. METHODS: An artificial somato-autonomic reflex pathway was established by intradural microanastomosis of L(4) ventral root (VR) to L(6)VR at the left side in 12 male Wistar rats. Then the L(4)VR proximal to the anastomosis was stimulated by silver electrode and the evoked potentials were recorded on the distal end to the anastomosis, pelvic nerve and postganlionic fibers of the major pelvic ganglia (MPG). Cystometrography was used to record the intravesical pressure. Hexamethonium, a cholinergic ganglion blocker, was given directly on the pelvic ganglion so as to observe the change of the intravesical pressure evoked by stimulation of the nerves. Another 12 rats were used as controls. RESULTS: (1) In the experimental group, stimulation of the L(4)VR proximal end to the anastomosis evoked potentials on the distal end, the pelvic nerve, and the postganglionic fibers of the MPG, and induced bladder contraction. Stimulation of the contralateral sciatic nerve failed to evoke change of intravesical pressure. In the control group stimulation of the L(4)VR or sciatic nerve failed to evoke potentials on the postganglionic fibers of pelvic nerve and change of intravesical pressure. (2) Stimulation of the ipsilateral sciatic nerve led to an increase of intravesical pressure. (3) After the use of hexamethonium stimulation of the ipsilateral sciatic nerve and proximal end of L(4)-L(6) anastomosis failed to evoke change of intravesical pressure. (4) The conduction velocity of the regenerated motor axons was 33.3 m/s +/- 6.9m/s, significantly higher than that of the control group (11.6 m/s +/- 1.6 m/s). CONCLUSION: Somatic motor axons can regenerate to the MPG and reinnervate the bladder and the impulses from the somatic motor neurons can initiate voiding.

An artificial somatic-autonomic reflex pathway procedure for bladder control in children with spina bifida.

PURPOSE: Neurogenic bladder is a major problem for children with spina bifida. Despite rigorous pharmacological and surgical treatment, incontinence, urinary tract infections and upper tract deterioration remain problematic. We have previously demonstrated the ability to establish surgically a skin-central nervous system-bladder reflex pathway in patients with spinal cord injury with restoration of bladder storage and emptying. We report our experience with this procedure in 20 children with spina bifida. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All children with spina bifida and neurogenic bladder underwent limited laminectomy and a lumbar ventral root (VR) to S3 VR microanastomosis. The L5 dorsal root was left intact as the afferent branch of the somatic-autonomic reflex pathway after axonal regeneration. All patients underwent urodynamic evaluation before and after surgery. RESULTS: Preoperative urodynamic studies revealed 2 types of bladder dysfunction- areflexic bladder (14 patients) and hyperreflexic bladder with detrusor external sphincter dyssynergia (6). All children were incontinent. Of the 20 patients 17 gained satisfactory bladder control and continence within 8 to 12 months after VR microanastomosis. Of the 14 patients with areflexic bladder 12 (86%) showed improvement. In these cases bladder capacity increased from 117.28 to 208.71 ml, and mean maximum detrusor pressure increased from 18.35 to 32.57 cm H2O. Five of the 6 patients with hyperreflexic bladder demonstrated improvement, with resolution of incontinence. Urodynamic studies in these cases revealed a change from detrusor hyperreflexia with detrusor external sphincter dyssynergia and high detrusor pressure to nearly normal storage and synergic voiding. In these cases mean bladder capacity increased from 94.33 to 177.83 ml, and post-void residual urine decreased from 70.17 to 23.67 ml. Overall, 3 patients failed to exhibit any improvement. CONCLUSIONS: The artificial somatic-autonomic reflex arc procedure is an effective and safe treatment to restore bladder continence and reverse bladder dysfunction for patients with spina bifida.

An artificial somatic-central nervous system-autonomic reflex pathway for controllable micturition after spinal cord injury: preliminary results in 15 patients.

PURPOSE: Neurogenic bladder dysfunction after spinal cord injury (SCI) is a major medical and social problem for which there is no definitive solution. After the successful establishment in animals of a skin-central nervous system-bladder reflex pathway for micturition we performed this procedure on 15 patients with SCI who had 3 years of followup. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 15 male volunteers with hyperreflexic neurogenic bladder and detrusor external sphincter dyssynergia (DESD) caused by complete suprasacral SCI underwent limited hemilaminectomy and ventral root (VR) micro anastomosis, usually between the L5 and S2/3 VRs. The L5 dorsal root was left intact as the trigger of micturition after axonal regeneration. Mean followup was 3 years. All patients underwent urodynamic evaluation before surgery and during followup. RESULTS: Preoperative studies in patients with complete suprasacral SCI revealed hyperreflexic neurogenic bladders and DESD with some differences in storage function during infusion cystometrograms. Of the 15 patients 10 (67%) regained satisfactory bladder control within 12 to 18 months after VR micro anastomosis. Average residual urine decreased from 332 to 31 ml and urinary infection as well as overflow incontinence disappeared. Urodynamic studies revealed a change from detrusor hyperreflexia with DESD and high detrusor pressure to almost normal storage and synergic voiding without DESD. Impaired renal function returned to normal. Two patients (13%) who required a skin stimulator to evoke voiding following the VR anastomosis had partial recovery but more than 100 ml residual urine. One patient was lost to followup and 2 had failure. CONCLUSIONS: An artificial somatic-central nervous system-autonomic reflex arc can be established surgically to provide a novel method for controlling bladder function in patients with complete suprasacral SCI who have hyperreflexic bladder and DESD. Nerve impulses delivered from the efferent neurons of a somatic reflex arc can be transferred to initiate the response of an autonomic effector.