Hand clinics
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Functioning free-muscle transfers are now an important, even essential, tool in the current management of patients with brachial plexus injury. They are indicated for the restoration of elbow flexion in patients who delay presentation(those seen after 6 to 9 mo). Double free-muscle transfers provide the possibility of simple grasp function when combined with nerve transfers or grafts for restoration of shoulder motion, hand sensation, and triceps function.
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The reconstructive strategies for avulsion in-juries vary from patient to patient and over time,continue to evolve depending on the surgeon's philosophy, available facilities and therapy, the elapsed time from injury to intervention, the severity of injury, and patient age and motivation. The author's results show that nerve transfer can obtain an average of 60 degrees (range, 20 degrees - 180 degrees) of shoulder elevation without shoulder arthrodesis, M3 to M4 muscle strength of elbow flexion, M2 to M4 elbow extension, and M3 finger flexion and sensation. Intrinsic hand function was obtained with help of dynamic splinting for interphalangeal joint extension and arthrodesis of thumb joints asa post for opposition.