NERVE TRANSFER SURGERY TO RESTORE HAND FUNCTION
Nerve transfers can be used to rewire the system to make some muscles work again following cervical spinal cord injury.
The transfer is done in the arm and essentially bypasses the damaged spinal cord to deliver a signal from the brain to a
muscle that became disconnected following injury. A donor nerve is taken from a non-essential muscle and transferred to
another nerve to provide more critical function. Because nerve transfers involve cutting and reattaching nerve tissue, time
is required to regenerate working connections between the nerves and muscle as well as to allow the brain to relearn how
to use and strengthen that muscle.
Because the nerve transfer is done through an incision in the upper arm with no tension on the nerve repair and no rerouting of tendons or muscles, there is very little down time after surgery. People who have this surgery may have some
pain and swelling at the site of the surgery but can use their arms for normal light activities including eating, writing,
using a phone or computer and getting dressed. There is no need for any splint or cast. Use of an electric wheelchair and
assistance with transfers is recommended until the skin is healed. Full pre-surgery activity can usually be restarted
(including use of a manual wheel chair, transferring, sports, strengthening, swimming, etc.) at two to four weeks after
surgery depending on how the healing is going. This is very different for the immobilization required after tendon transfer
or tenodesis surgery to improve hand function.
NERVE TRANSFER SURGERY CENTERS
Washington University School of Medicine
Ida K. Fox, MD
Assistant Professor
Division of Plastic Surgery
Center for Nerve Injury and Paralysis
BOX 8238
660 South Euclid Ave.
Saint Louis, MO 63108
(314) 454-6089