Case report: Double nerve transfer of the anterior and posterior interosseous nerves to treat a high ulnar nerve defect at the elbow

Tendon Transfer versus Nerve Transfer for the Reconstruction of Key Pinch and Grip Strength in Isolated High Traumatic Injuries of the Ulnar Nerve: A Systematic Review

Background: Primary repair for traumatic injuries to the ulnar nerve alone does not always restore satisfactory hand function, particularly in injuries above the elbow where the long distances for regeneration limit motor reinnervation. Reductions in key pinch and grip strength are some of the main complaints. Tendon transfers have traditionally been used to improve key pinch and grip strength as a late salvage where primary nerve regeneration has run its course. Nerve transfers have been proposed as an alternative procedure and may be offered early to augment recovery, lengthen the window for reinnervation or provide motor reinnervation where the results of nerve repair are expected to be poor. This review sought to identify whether one type of procedure was superior to the other for reconstructing key pinch and grip strength. Methods: Medline, Embase and Cochrane Library were searched to identify articles that concerned nerve or tendon transfer following isolated traumatic injury to the ulnar nerve. Articles were excluded if patients had polytrauma or degenerative diseases of the peripheral nerves. Results: A total of 179 articles were screened for inclusion. And 35 full-text articles were read and assessed for eligibility, of which seven articles were eligible. Following citation search, two additional articles were included. Five tendon transfer articles and four nerve transfer articles were included. Key pinch and grip strength outcomes for both procedures were roughly similar, though tendon transfers carried a much higher risk of complications. Conclusions: Based on the key pinch and grip strength outcomes, tendon transfer and nerve transfer restore a similar degree of function following traumatic ulnar injury. Reported nerve transfer outcomes for grip strength were slightly better. Return to useful function was faster following tendon transfers. Preoperative data and more patient-reported outcome measures should be recorded in future studies to provide more context for each procedure type. Level of Evidence: Level III (Therapeutic).

Sensory Neurotization of the Ulnar Nerve, Surgical Techniques and Functional Outcomes: A Review

When ulnar nerve lesions happen above the wrist level, sensation recovery after acute repair or nerve grafting is often challenging. Distal sensory nerve transfers may be an option for overcoming these sequelae. However, little data has been published on this topic. This study aims to review the surgical procedures currently proposed, along with their functional results. Six donor nerves have been described at the wrist level: the palmar branch of the median nerve, the cutaneous branch of the median nerve to the palm with or without fascicles of the ulnar digital nerve of the index finger, the posterior interosseous nerve, the third palmar digital nerve, the radial branch of the superficial radial nerve, the median nerve, and the fascicule for the third web space. Three donor nerves have been reported at the hand level: the ulnar digital nerves of the index, and the radial or ulnar digital nerves of the long finger. Three target sites were used: the superficial branch of the ulnar nerve, the dorsal branch of the ulnar nerve, and the ulnar digital branch of the fifth digit. All the technical points have been illustrated with anatomical dissection pictures. After assessing sensory recovery using the British Medical Research Council scale, a majority of excellent recoveries scaled S3+ or S4 have been reported in the targeted territory for each technique.

Anterior Interosseous Nerve to Ulnar Nerve Transfers: A Systematic Review

Background There has been an increasing utilization of end-to-end (ETE) and reverse “supercharged” end-to-side (SETS) anterior interosseous nerve (AIN) to ulnar nerve transfers (NTs) for treatment of high ulnar nerve injury. This study aimed to review the potential indications for, and outcomes of, ETE and SETS AIN–ulnar NT.

Methods A literature review was performed, and 10 articles with 156 patients who had sufficient follow-up to evaluate functional outcomes were included. English studies were included if they reported the outcome of patients with ulnar nerve injuries treated with AIN to ulnar motor NT. Outcomes were analyzed based on the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) questionnaire scores, grip and key pinch strength, and interosseous Medical Research Council–graded motor strength. Comparisons were made using the independent t-test and the chi-square test. No nerve graft control group was required for eligibility. Ulnar nerve injury types varied.

Results NT resulted in 77% of patients achieving M3+ recovery, 53.7 ± 19.8 lb grip strength recovery, 61 ± 21% key pinch recovery, and a mean DASH score of 33.4 ± 16. In this diverse group, NT resulted in significantly greater M3+ recovery and grip strength recovery measured in pounds than in the nerve graft/conventional treatment group, and ETE repairs had significantly better outcomes compared with SETS repairs for grip strength, key pinch strength, and DASH scores, but heterogeneity limits interpretation.

Conclusion ETE and SETS AIN–ulnar NTs produce significant restoration of ulnar nerve motor function for high ulnar nerve injuries. For ulnar nerve transection injuries at or above the elbow, ETE NT results in superior motor recovery compared with nerve grafting/conventional repair. However, further research is needed to determine the best treatment for other types of ulnar nerve injury and the role of SETS NT.

Posterior interosseous nerve to the superficial branch of the ulnar nerve transfer at the distal third of the forearm through a single anterior approach: Anatomical feasibility study

The purpose of this study was to determine in a cadaver model, whether transfer of the posterior interosseous nerve (PIN) to the superficial branch of the ulnar nerve (SBUN) by a single approach was feasible. The experiment was carried out on five fresh cadavers. The ulnar nerve was split into its motor branches and the SBUN. The PIN was collected behind the interosseous membrane and sutured to the SBUN on its anterior surface. All sutures were tensionless and technically possible with the PIN's diameter being at least 50% of the SBUN's diameter in all cases. Our results demonstrate that PIN to SBUN transfer through a single anterior approach is feasible in a cadaver model.

Transfer of the extensor indicis proprius branch of posterior interosseous nerve to reconstruct ulnar nerve and median nerve injured proximally: an anatomical study

Proximal or middle lesions of the ulnar or median nerves are responsible for extensive loss of hand motor function. This occurs even when the most meticulous microsurgical techniques or nerve grafts are used. Previous studies had proposed that nerve transfer was more effective than nerve grafting for nerve repair. Our hypothesis is that transfer of the posterior interosseous nerve, which contains mainly motor fibers, to the ulnar or median nerve can innervate the intrinsic muscles of hands. The present study sought to investigate the feasibility of reconstruction of the deep branch of the ulnar nerve and the thenar branch of median nerve by transferring the extensor indicis proprius branch of the posterior interosseous nerve obtained from adult cadavers. The results suggested that the extensor indicis proprius branch of the posterior interosseous nerve had approximately similar diameters and number of fascicles and myelinated nerve fibers to those of the deep branch of ulnar nerve and the thenar branch of the median nerve. These confirm the feasibility of extensor indicis proprius branch of posterior interosseous nerve transfer for reconstruction of the deep branch of the ulnar nerve and the thenar branch of median nerve. This procedure could be a novel and effective method for the functional recovery of the intrinsic muscles of hands after ulnar nerve or median nerve injury.