Post by Lαrα on Mar 22, 2015 3:16:39 GMT -8
Have any of you guys heard about this or ever been offered this as an option? It looks like an option for some function return.
What is it?
Nerve transfer is a surgical technique that’s used to restore muscle function or sensation after a serious injury. Employing the technique, surgeons select a redundant nerve — one that serves the same function as another nerve in the body — and connect it to a more important but damaged nerve that’s not working. The nerves must be in close proximity. The rewired nerve can restore muscle function or feeling to the target area, often a hand, arm or shoulder.
How is nerve transfer surgery used to restore a quadriplegic’s hand function?
A. A quadriplegic is someone who has suffered a spinal cord injury that leaves them without the ability to use their hands or legs. Generally, the higher the spinal cord injury, the more profound the paralysis. Nerve transfer surgery has been used to restore some hand function in patients who have suffered spinal cord injuries at the base of the neck (the C6 and C7 vertebrae). These patients tend to have some shoulder, elbow and wrist function, which means they still have some working nerves in their arms.
Q. Why is this surgery important?
A. Quadriplegics lead difficult lives; most need help with daily activities, such as changing, washing and eating. Any measure that provides more movement confers more independence. Being able to manipulate the thumb and fingers allows quadriplegics to manage more small, daily tasks on their own.
The recent surgery at The Ottawa Hospital represents the first time that surgeons in Canada have used the nerve transfer procedure to restore hand function after a spinal cord injury. The procedure remains exceedingly rare and has been used in only 8 to 10 spinal cord patients in North America.
Read More Here (one of the images are graphic on the site)
