Lubelski D, Halsey J, Suk I, Tuffaha S, Osgood G, Belzberg AJ. Novel Approach of Femur Shortening With Insertion of Expandable Rod to Achieve End-to-End Repair of Sciatic Nerve Laceration.
Oper Neurosurg (Hagerstown) 2023;
24:455-459. [PMID:
36701656 DOI:
10.1227/ons.0000000000000569]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Sciatic nerve injuries are challenging for diagnosis and treatment. Particularly in proximally located high-grade injuries, neurorrhaphy often has poor outcomes. Most advocate autologous grafting and some more recently have suggested the value of knee flexion braces to facilitate end-to-end repair.
OBJECTIVE
To describe a case of femur shortening to facilitate tension-free, end-to-end sciatic nerve neurorrhaphy.
METHODS
The patient was a 17-year-old man who was injured by the propeller of a motor boat and suffered a series of lacerations to both lower extremities including transection of his right sciatic nerve in the proximal thigh. After extensive mobilization of the nerve, a greater than 7-cm gap was still present. The patient was treated with femur shortening to facilitate end-to-end coaptation. He subsequently had an expandable rod placed which was lengthened 1 mm per day until his leg length was symmetric.
RESULTS
Within 7 months postoperatively, the patient had an advancing Tinel sign and paresthesias to the dorsum of his foot. Nine months postoperatively, he had early mobility in his plantarflexion.
CONCLUSION
We present a novel method of femur shortening with insertion of an expandable rod to facilitate direct end-to-end and tension-free sciatic nerve neurorrhaphy in a proximally located injury. Furthermore, larger scale and comparative studies are warranted to further explore this and other techniques.
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