title: Comparative study of intercostal nerve transfer to lower trunk and contralateral C7 root transfer in repair of total brachial plexus injury in rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study is to compare the treatment outcome of nerve transfer using intercostal nerves (ICNs) or contralateral C7 (cC7) root in rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety adult Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups of 30 each: group A (cC7 root transfer), group B (ICNs transfer), and group C (control). Electrophysiological examination, muscle tension test, neuromorphology, and muscle fiber cross-sectional area measurements obtained from the three groups were compared to evaluate neurotization outcome 4, 8, and 12 weeks postoperatively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Median nerve regeneration and the flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS) muscle functional recovery of group B were worse than group A from comparison of both groups' parameters.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Neurotization of ICNs to the lower trunk is difficult to replace cC7 root transfer to the median nerve for restoration of hand function in total brachial plexus injury (BPI). Therefore, at present, the more important implication of the comparative study is that traditional cC7 root transfer remains the mainstay strategy to repair forearm flexor muscle function.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hand Surgery, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; Key Laboratory of Hand Reconstruction, Ministry of Health, Shanghai, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Peripheral Nerve and Microsurgery, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Ye
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Department of Hand Surgery, The Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Hand Surgery, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; Key Laboratory of Hand Reconstruction, Ministry of Health, Shanghai, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Peripheral Nerve and Microsurgery, Shanghai, China. Electronic address: xlcrystal87@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lao
authors.affiliation: Department of Hand Surgery, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; Key Laboratory of Hand Reconstruction, Ministry of Health, Shanghai, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Peripheral Nerve and Microsurgery, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001917:Brachial Plexus / Q000293:injuries*; D005552:Forelimb / Q000293:injuries / Q000502:physiology; D007367:Intercostal Nerves; D008475:Median Nerve / Q000502:physiology; D009119:Muscle Contraction; D018485:Muscle Fibers, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000294:innervation / Q000502:physiology; D009416:Nerve Regeneration; D016067:Nerve Transfer / Q000379:methods*; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D020127:Recovery of Function; D013126:Spinal Nerve Roots; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Brachial plexus; Contralateral C7 root; Intercostal nerve; Nerve transfer; Rats