A successful case of sural nerve cable grafting after a gunshot wound to the knees.
OBJECTIVE
To describe a successful case of sural nerve cable grafting to the leg following a gunshot injury.


METHODS
A 28-year-old man was shot at close range, sustaining extensive damage to the left popliteal fossa. Initial exploratory operation revealed a pierced sciatic nerve proximal to its bifurcation into the tibial and common peroneal branches. The 60% division 3.5-cm common peroneal deficit and the complete transection of the tibial division were repaired using an ipsilateral sural cable nerve graft that was not reversed. Initial re-assessment in the clinic setting revealed a denervation atrophy of all 3 leg compartments and paraesthesia below the left knee sparing the sural nerve. After 3 months, the patient had a significant improvement in both power and sensation which was felt to be due to a resolution of a neuropraxic component to the nerve injury. Re-assessment at 9 months and later at 14 months revealed an almost full recovery, suggestive of the success of the nerve grafting procedure.


CONCLUSIONS
This report shows that, given favourable conditions, a good result is possible following use of cable nerve grafting to treat nerve damage from gunshot.
Khanna
Achal
A
Department of Surgery, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, University of Adelaide, Australia. khannaachal@hotmail.com
Mahajani
Ravi
R
Proudman
Timothy
T
D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D007717:Knee / Q000294:innervation; D007718:Knee Injuries / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D013021:South Australia; D013497:Sural Nerve / Q000601:surgery*; D019737:Transplants; D014948:Wounds, Gunshot / Q000601:surgery*