• Laurent Mathieu, Constance Diner, Anaïs Chataigneau, Georges Pfister, Christophe Oberlin, and Zoubir Belkheyar.
• Department of Orthopedic, Trauma and Reconstructive Surgery, Percy Military Hospital, 101 avenue Henri Barbusse, 92140, Clamart, France. laurent_tom2@yahoo.fr.
• Eur J Trauma Emerg Surg. 2022 Dec 1; 48 (6): 466146674661-4667.

PurposeTo evaluate functional outcomes after direct suturing of upper extremity nerve defects in high elbow or wrist flexion.MethodsA retrospective review was conducted in patients treated for median, ulnar, or radial nerve defects between 2011 and 2019. Inclusion criteria were a defect > 1 cm and a minimal follow-up period of 1 year. Nerve defects were bridged by an end-to-end suture in 90° elbow flexion or 70° wrist flexion for 6 weeks.ResultsNine patients with a mean age of 30.2 years were included. The patients presented with two ulnar nerve defects, four median nerve defects, and three radial nerve defects at various levels. The mean time to surgery was 13.5 weeks for recent injuries. The mean defect length was 2.9 cm, and the mean follow-up time was 22.4 months. Two patients had joint stiffness that was more likely related to the associated injuries than the 6-week immobilization. Successful outcomes were achieved in eight of the nine patients. Meaningful motor recovery was observed in seven patients, and all recovered meaningful sensation. Excellent nerve recovery was noted in pediatric patients and in those with distal nerve defects.ConclusionTemporary high joint flexion allows for direct coaptation of upper extremity nerve defects up to 4 cm located near the elbow or wrist. In this small and heterogenous cohort, functional outcomes seemed to be comparable to those obtained with short autografting.© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany.

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