Restoration of strong opposition after median-nerve or brachial plexus paralysis.
In hands in which the superficial flexors of the fingers and thenar muscles of opposition are denervated, usually as the result of high median-nerve or brachial plexus injury, thumb opposition can be restored by transfer of the superficial flexor of the ring finger to the thumb through a dynamic pulley made from the distal segment of flexor carpi ulnaris which is attached to the proximal segment of flexor carpi ulnaris to the transferred paralyzed superficial ring-finger flexor tendon. Of sixteen patients treated by this method, twelve had good or satisfactory results; one had a poor result; and three were lost to follow-up.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001917:Brachial Plexus / Q000293:injuries*; D002370:Casts, Surgical; D005385:Fingers / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008475:Median Nerve / Q000293:injuries*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010243:Paralysis / Q000601:surgery*; D013165:Splints / Q000379:methods; D013537:Sutures; D013709:Tendon Transfer / Q000379:methods; D013933:Thumb / Q000601:surgery; D014955:Wrist Joint / Q000601:surgery