Global trends and outcomes of nerve transfers for treatment of adult brachial plexus injuries

The presentation, management and outcomes of brachial plexus injuries are likely to be subject to regional differences across the globe. A comprehensive literature search was performed to identify relevant articles related to spinal accessory to suprascapular, intercostal to musculocutaneous, and ulnar and/or median nerve fascicle to biceps and/or brachialis motor branch nerve transfers for treatment of brachial plexus injuries. A total of 6007 individual brachial plexus injuries were described with a mean follow-up of 38 months. The specific indication for accessory to suprascapular and intercostal to musculocutaneous transfers were considerably different among regions (e.g. upper plexus vs. pan-plexal), while uniform for fascicular transfer for elbow flexion (e.g. upper plexus +/- C7). Similarly, functional recovery was highly variable for accessory to suprascapular and intercostal to musculocutaneous transfers, while British Medical Research Council grade ≥3 strength after fascicular transfer for elbow flexion was frequently obtained. Overall, differences in outcomes seem to be inherent to the specific transfer being utilized.Level of evidence: III.

Surgical reconstructions for adult brachial plexus injuries. Part II: Treatments for total arm type

Brachial plexus injuries (BPI) contribute not only to physical dysfunction but also to socioeconomic aspects and psychological disability. Patients with total arm-type BPI will lose not only the shoulder and elbow function but also the hand function, making reconstruction particularly challenging. Reconstructive procedures commonly include nerve repair, grafting, neurotization (nerve transfer), tendon transfer and free functional muscle transfer (FFMT). Although it is difficult to achieve prehensile hand function, most of patients with total arm-type BPI can be treated with satisfied outcomes. In addition to surgical techniques, comprehensive rehabilitation is another important factor for successful outcomes, and efficient communication can help to boost patient morale and eliminate uncertainty.

Comparison of Anterior vs. Dorsal Approach for Spinal Accessory to Suprascapular Nerve Transfer in Patients With a Brachial Plexus Injury and Its Outcome on Shoulder Function

Background

Brachial plexus injuries are frequently encountered in the domain of plastic surgery, mostly secondary to road traffic accidents, gunshot injuries, or falls from a height. Many modalities have been described in the management, depending on the level and duration of the injury. C5, C6 and C5, C6, C7 are two common patterns in which nerve repair and transfers are described. At our center, we practice spinal accessory to suprascapular nerve transfer in all patients with upper trunk brachial plexus injury. There are two described approaches for the spinal accessory nerve to suprascapular nerve transfer, i.e. anterior or dorsal. The rationale for doing the posterior approach is that this approach avoids damaging the suprascapular nerve at its entrance in the suprascapular notch under the suprascapular ligament during exploration due to traction.

Materials and methods

This is a retrospective study with a consecutive sampling of 23 patients presenting at Liaquat National Hospital, Karachi, with upper trunk brachial plexus injuries during the time period from January 2016 to December 2017, i.e. two years. We divided these 23 patients into two groups, one with the anterior approach and the other with a dorsal approach for spinal accessory to suprascapular nerve transfer for shoulder abduction. The mean duration of post-surgical follow-up was from 18 to 24 months and recovery and functional outcomes were assessed.

Results

Out of the 23 patients that were included, 10 patients were operated on with an anterior approach and 13 with a posterior approach. Fifty percent (50%) of patients operated with the anterior approach and 84% of patients with the posterior showed the best motor grade recovery of M4, respectively, with better performance in patients with the posterior approach as compared to the anterior approach.

Conclusion

We advocate taking a posterior approach for spinal accessory to suprascapular nerve transfer for shoulder abduction, as it has shown better results with reliable outcomes concerning shoulder abduction, angle of abduction, and range of motion.

Team Approach: Management of Brachial Plexus Injuries

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Traumatic brachial plexus injuries are relatively rare but potentially devastating injuries with substantial functional, psychological, and economic consequences.

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Prompt referral (ideally within 6 weeks of injury) to a center with a team of experts experienced in the diagnosis and management of these injuries is helpful to achieving optimal outcomes.

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Preoperative and intraoperative decision-making to diagnose and plan reconstructive procedures is complex and must take into account a number of factors, including the time from injury, concomitant injuries, preservation of cervical nerve roots, and the availability of intraplexal and extraplexal donor nerves for nerve transfer.

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A team approach is essential to ensure accurate localization of the pathology before surgery and to maximize rehabilitation after surgery, necessitating close contact between the surgical team, physiatrists, radiologists, and therapists.

Functional outcome predictors after spinal accessory nerve to suprascapular nerve transfer for restoration of shoulder abduction in traumatic brachial plexus injuries in adults: the effect of time from injury to surgery

BACKGROUND

Shoulder abduction is crucial for daily activities, and its restoration is one of the surgical priorities. We evaluated the predictive factors of shoulder abduction functional outcome after spinal accessory nerve (SAN) to suprascapular nerve (SSN) transfer, with special emphasis on the effect of time from injury to the surgery, in the treatment of traumatic brachial plexus injuries.

METHOD

This cohort included adult patients who underwent SAN-to-SSN transfer with a preoperative Medical Research Council strength grade 0 and a follow-up of minimum 18 months. The primary outcome was shoulder abduction function (bad, < 30°; good, 30°-60°; or excellent, > 60°). Demographics, trauma characteristics, time lapse between injury and surgery, concomitant axillary nerve reconstruction, and surgery duration were registered. Ordinal logistic regression was used to identify predictors of functional outcomes.

RESULTS

The records of 83 patients (86.7% men, mean age 28.8 ± 9.8 years) were analysed. Mean body mass index was 24.1 ± 3.7 kg/m², and 43.1% were overweight/obese. Motorcycle crashes were the most common trauma mechanism (88.0%). Excellent, good, and bad outcomes were achieved by 20.4%, 38.6%, and 41.0%, respectively. Older patients tended to have worse outcomes (p = 0.074), as well as left-sided lesions (p = 0.015) or those contralateral to manual dominance (p = 0.057). The longer the interval between injury and surgery the worse the outcome: excellent, 5.5 (4.3-7.1); good, 6.9 (5.9-8.7); and bad, 8.2 (5.7-10.1) months (p = 0.018). After multivariable analysis, longer time interval predicted lower odds of better outcomes (OR 0.823, 95% CI 0.699-0.970, p = 0.020; 17.7% lower odds of good or excellent outcome for each additional month). The odd of good or excellent outcomes was also associated with axillary nerve reconstruction (OR 2.767, 95% CI 1.016-7.536, p = 0.046), but not with age or lesion laterality.

CONCLUSIONS

Excellent or good functional outcomes for shoulder abduction were achieved by almost sixty percent of adults who underwent SAN-to-SSN transfer for reconstruction of traumatic brachial plexus injuries, associated or not with axillary nerve reconstruction strategies. Longer delays from injury to surgery predicted worse outcomes, and the best time frame seemed to be less than 6 months.

Surgical treatment of trapezius palsy: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

Trapezius palsy results from injury to the spinal accessory nerve. The condition presents with loss of shoulder abduction, pain, and winging of the scapula. Surgical treatment may improve functional outcomes and quality of life.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to report and evaluate the clinical outcomes following surgical management of trapezius palsy.

STUDY DESIGN

Systematic review.

METHODS

The electronic databases EMBASE, MEDLINE, and PubMed were searched for studies and relevant data were abstracted. Only studies reporting on outcomes after the surgical treatments of trapezius palsy were included.

RESULTS

A total of 10 studies including 192 patients were included in this review. All surgical interventions resulted in improved function and pain reduction. Patients reported high satisfaction (90-92%) following nerve reconstruction or the Eden-Lange procedure, in comparison to neurolysis. The most common procedure reported was the Eden-Lange muscle transfer (32% reported cases) demonstrating the highest patient satisfaction rates with low complication rate of 7.7%.

CONCLUSION

Patients failing conservative treatment report good outcomes following surgical treatment of trapezius palsy. All reported surgical procedures demonstrate reduction in pain the best results from the Eden-Lange muscle transfer. Further high-quality comparative studies are required to make definitive conclusions regarding the comparative efficacy of each surgical procedure.

Surgical reconstructions for adult brachial plexus injuries. Part I: Treatments for combined C5 and C6 injuries, with or without C7 injuries

Brachial plexus injuries will cause a significantly decreased quality of life. Patients with upper arm type brachial plexus injuries, which means C5 and C6 roots injury, will lose their shoulder elevation/abduction/external rotation, and elbow flexion function. Additional elbow, wrist, and hand extension function deficit will occur in patients with C7 root injury. With the advances of reconstructive procedures, the upper arm brachial plexus injuries can be successfully restored through nerve repair, nerve grafting, nerve transfer, muscle / tendon transfer and free functioning muscle transfer. In this review article, we summarized the various reconstructive procedures to restore the function of shoulder and elbow. Nowadays, the upper arm type BPI can be treat with satisfied outcomes (80-90% successful rate).

Rhomboid nerve transfer to the suprascapular nerve for shoulder reanimation in brachial plexus palsy: A clinical report

Recovery of shoulder function is a real challenge in cases of partial brachial plexus palsy. Currently, in C5-C6 root injuries, transfer of the long head of the triceps brachii branch is done to revive the deltoid muscle. Spinal accessory nerve transfer is typically used for reanimation of the suprascapular nerve. We propose an alternative technique in which the nerve of the rhomboid muscles is transferred to the suprascapular nerve. A 33-year-old male patient with a C5-C6 brachial plexus injury with shoulder and elbow flexion palsy underwent surgery 7 months after the injury. The rhomboid nerve was transferred to the suprascapular nerve and the long head of the triceps brachii branch to the axillary nerve for shoulder reanimation. A double transfer of fascicles was performed, from the ulnar and median nerves to the biceps brachii branch and brachialis branch, respectively, for elbow flexion. At 14 months' follow-up, elbow flexion was rated M4. Shoulder elevation was 85 degrees and rated M4, and external rotation was 80 degrees and rated M4. After performing a cadaver study showing that transfer of the rhomboid nerve to the suprascapular nerve is technically possible, here we report and discuss the clinical outcomes of this new transfer technique.

Results of spinal accessory to suprascapular nerve transfer in 110 patients with complete palsy of the brachial plexus

OBJECTIVE

Transfer of the spinal accessory nerve to the suprascapular nerve is a common procedure, performed to reestablish shoulder motion in patients with total brachial plexus palsy. However, the results of this procedure remain largely unknown.

METHODS

Over an 11-year period (2002–2012), 257 patients with total brachial plexus palsy were operated upon in the authors' department by a single surgeon and had the spinal accessory nerve transferred to the suprascapular nerve. Among these, 110 had adequate follow-up and were included in this study. Their average age was 26 years (SD 8.4 years), and the mean interval between their injury and surgery was 5.2 months (SD 2.4 months). Prior to 2005, the suprascapular and spinal accessory nerves were dissected through a classic supraclavicular L-shape incision (n = 29). Afterward (n = 81), the spinal accessory and suprascapular nerves were dissected via an oblique incision, extending from the point at which the plexus crossed the clavicle to the anterior border of the trapezius muscle. In 17 of these patients, because of clavicle fractures or dislocation, scapular fractures or retroclavicular scarring, the incision was extended by detaching the trapezius from the clavicle to expose the suprascapular nerve at the suprascapular fossa. In all patients, the brachial plexus was explored and elbow flexion reconstructed by root grafting (n = 95), root grafting and phrenic nerve transfer (n = 6), phrenic nerve transfer (n = 1), or third, fourth, and fifth intercostal nerve transfer. Postoperatively, patients were followed for an average of 40 months (SD 13.7 months).

RESULTS

Failed recovery, meaning less than 30° abduction, was observed in 10 (9%) of the 110 patients. The failure rate was 25% between 2002 and 2004, but dropped to 5% after the staged/extended approach was introduced. The mean overall range of abduction recovery was 58.5° (SD 26°). Comparing before and after distal suprascapular nerve exploration (2005–2012), the range of abduction recovery was 45° (SD 25.1°) versus 62° (SD 25.3°), respectively (p = 0.002). In patients who recovered at least 30° of abduction, recovery of elbow flexion to at least an M3 level of strength increased the range of abduction by an average of 13° (p = 0.01). Before the extended approach, 2 (7%) of 29 patients recovered active external rotation of 20° and 120°. With the staged/extended approach, 32 (40%) of 81 recovered some degree of active external rotation. In these patients, the average range of motion measured from the thorax was 87° (SD 40.6°).

CONCLUSIONS

In total palsies of the brachial plexus, using the spinal accessory nerve for transfer to the suprascapular nerve is reliable and provides some recovery of abduction for a large majority of patients. In a few patients, a more extensive approach to access the suprascapular nerve, including, if necessary, dissection in the suprascapular fossa, may enhance outcomes.

Anatomic study of the intercostal nerve transfer to the suprascapular nerve and a case report

The purpose of this study was to investigate the anatomical basis of intercostal nerve transfer to the suprascapular nerve and provide a case report. Thoracic walls of 30 embalmed human cadavers were used to investigate the anatomical feasibility for neurotization of the suprascapular nerve with intercostal nerves in brachial plexus root avulsions. We found that the 3rd and 4th intercostal nerves could be transferred to the suprascapular nerve without a nerve graft. Based on the anatomical study, the 3rd and 4th intercostal nerves were transferred to the suprascapular nerve via the deltopectoral approach in a 42-year-old man who had had C5-7 root avulsions and partial injury of C8, T1 of the right brachial plexus. Thirty-two months postoperatively, the patient gained 30° of shoulder abduction and 45° of external rotation. This procedure provided us with a reliable and convenient method for shoulder function reconstruction after brachial plexus root avulsion accompanied with spinal accessory nerve injury. It can also be used when the accessory nerve is intact but needs to be preserved for better shoulder stability or possible future trapezius transfer.