Digital nerve-grafting for traumatic defects. Use of the lateral antebrachial cutaneous nerve.
We used segments of the lateral antebrachial cutaneous nerve to graft defects in forty-two digital nerves in thirty-five patients. Age was a more important prognostic indicator for functional sensibility than either the length of the nerve graft or the time-interval from injury to grafting. The younger patients did better. A battery of eight tests was used to determine functional sensibility scores. All patients improved and 40 per cent had completely normal sensibility.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005385:Fingers / Q000294:innervation* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009068:Movement; D010525:Peripheral Nerves / Q000637:transplantation*; D011826:Radial Nerve / Q000293:injuries / Q000601:surgery*; D012677:Sensation; D013997:Time Factors; D014459:Ulnar Nerve / Q000293:injuries / Q000601:surgery*