Surgical Technique and Anatomical Considerations for the Modified L'Episcopo Tendon Transfer

Assessment, management, and rehabilitation of traumatic peripheral nerve injuries for non-surgeons

Electrodiagnostic evaluation is often requested for persons with peripheral nerve injuries and plays an important role in their diagnosis, prognosis, and management. Peripheral nerve injuries are common and can have devastating effects on patients' physical, psychological, and socioeconomic well-being; alongside surgeons, electrodiagnostic medicine specialists serve a central function in ensuring patients receive optimal treatment for these injuries. Surgical intervention-nerve grafting, nerve transfers, and tendon transfers-often plays a critical role in the management of these injuries and the restoration of patients' function. Increasingly, nerve transfers are becoming the standard of care for some types of peripheral nerve injury due to two significant advantages: first, they shorten the time to reinnervation of denervated muscles; and second, they confer greater specificity in directing motor and sensory axons toward their respective targets. As the indications for, and use of, nerve transfers expand, so too does the role of the electrodiagnostic medicine specialist in establishing or confirming the diagnosis, determining the injury's prognosis, recommending treatment, aiding in surgical planning, and supporting rehabilitation. Having a working knowledge of nerve and/or tendon transfer options allows the electrodiagnostic medicine specialist to not only arrive at the diagnosis and prognosticate, but also to clarify which nerves and/or muscles might be suitable donors, such as confirming whether the branch to supinator could be a nerve transfer donor to restore distal posterior interosseous nerve function. Moreover, post-operative testing can determine if nerve transfer reinnervation is occurring and progress patients' rehabilitation and/or direct surgeons to consider tendon transfers.

Long-Term Results of Isolated Latissimus Dorsi to Rotator Cuff Transfer in Brachial Plexus Birth Injury

Background  Brachial plexus birth injury results in deficits in strength and motion, occasionally requiring surgery to restore power to the deficient external rotators of the shoulder in these patients. This is a retrospective analysis of the long-term results of an isolated latissimus dorsi transfer to the rotator cuff in patients with brachial plexus birth injury. Methods  This is a retrospective review of prospectively collected data for patients undergoing isolated latissimus dorsi transfer into the infraspinatus in addition to release of the internal rotation contracture of the shoulder with greater than 5 years' follow-up. Preoperative and postoperative shoulder elevation and external rotation were documented. Failure of surgery was defined as a return of the internal rotation contracture and a clinically apparent clarion sign. Results  A total of 22 patients satisfied the inclusion criteria: 9 global palsies and 13 upper trunk palsies. The average follow-up was 11 years, ranging from 7.5 to 15.9 years. There was a trend for improved external rotation in the global palsy cohort at final follow-up ( p  = 0.084). All nine global palsies maintained adequate external rotation without a clarion sign. Five of the 13 upper trunk palsies failed the latissimus dorsi transfer and subsequently required either teres major transfer and/or rotational osteotomy. In these five failures, the period from initial transfer to failure averaged 6.6 years, ranging from 3.4 to 9.5 years. Conclusion  The results of this study indicate that patients with global palsy have sustained long-term improved outcomes with isolated latissimus dorsi transfer while patients with upper trunk palsy have a high rate of failure. Based on these results, we recommend isolated latissimus dorsi transfer for global palsy patients who have isolated infraspinatus weakness. Level of Evidence:  Case series - Level IV.

Osteolysis at the insertion of L'Episcopo tendon transfer: Incidence and clinical impact

INTRODUCTION

During a L'Episcopo transfer procedure, the tendons of the latissimus dorsi and teres major are reinserted on the posterolateral side of the humeral shaft to restore active external rotation. The aim of this study was to monitor the radiological changes at the insertion point of this transfer and to evaluate its impact on the clinical outcomes.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this retrospective, single-center study, 13 patients (mean age 56 years; 19-84) were reviewed after a minimum follow-up of 2 years. The L'Episcopo transfer was done either alone (n=2) or in combination with reverse shoulder arthroplasty (n=11). The same transfer technique was used in both instances, with reattachment by transosseous sutures. The clinical assessment consisted of the Constant score (CS), the Activities of Daily Living Requiring Active External Rotation (ADLER) score and the Subjective Shoulder Value (SSV). Radiographs were used to look for signs of osteolysis of the cortical bone in the tendon transfer areas and classified as grade 1 (minor erosion), grade 2 (moderate erosion) and grade 3 (major erosion).

RESULTS

At a mean follow-up of 37 months (24-72), the mean CS was 60 points (32-75), the ADLER was 21 points (15-30) and the SSV was 77% (10-95). In the radiographic analysis, 10/13 patients had osteolysis visible in the transfer area: 2 were grade 1 (15%), 1 was grade 2 (8%), 7 were grade 3 (54%). There was no statistical correlation between the presence of osteolysis and the clinical outcomes. Nevertheless, external rotation with elbow at side and forward flexion were better in the patients who had osteolysis≥grade 2.

CONCLUSION

The L'Episcopo transfer is associated with frequent osteolysis of the humeral cortex where the transfer is attached, even though the transfer appears effective. Long-term follow-up will be needed to evaluate the impact of this osteolysis on the stability of any shoulder arthroplasty implants.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

IV; retrospective study.