Brachial Plexus Injuries

Nerve Transfer

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Nerves can be moved from an uninjured portion of the brachial plexus (or from other sources in the body) to restore motor or sensory functions to a paralyzed muscle. This technique involves sewing an adjacent, functioning nerve or part of a nerve into a non-functioning nerve. For example, transferring a part of the uninjured C7 nerve root can restore the grasp function in patients who have suffered an avulsion injury (nerve torn from the spine). In another example, a part of the ulnar nerve (in the forearm) can be used to innervate the biceps muscle.