Evaluation of nerve transfer options for treating total brachial plexus avulsion injury： a retrospective study of 73 participants

摘要

Despite recent great progress in diagnosis and microsurgical repair,the prognosis in total brachial plexus-avulsion injury remains unfavorable.Insufficient number of donors and unreasonable use of donor nerves might be key factors.To identify an optimal treatment strategy for this condition,we conducted a retrospective review.Seventy-three patients with total brachial plexus avulsion injury were followed up for an average of 7.3 years.Our analysis demonstrated no significant difference in elbow-flexion recovery between phrenic nerve-transfer(25cn(17order function was attempted through anterior accessory nerve(27 cases),posterior accessory nerve(10 cases),intercostal nerve(5 cases),or accessory+intercostal nerve transfer(31 cases).Accessory nerve+intercostal nerve transfer was the most effective method.A significantlyfor elbow flexion,accessory nerve+intercostal nerve transfer for shoulder function,intercostal nerves transfer for elbow extension。