Brachial plexus root avulsion injury
Brachial plexus root avulsion injuries, seen in the above image, can be devastating. They usually result from high-speed accidents. Nerve transfer provides hope for successful treatment of this difficult set of injuries. In neurotization (nerve transfer), a healthy but less valuable nerve or its proximal stump is transferred in order to reinnervate a more important sensory or motor territory that has lost its innervation through irreparable damage to its nerve. In brachial plexus injuries, extraplexal nerves such as the spinal accessory nerve, branches of the cervical plexus, or intercostal nerves are transferred onto trunks, cords, or individual nerves or else segments of the brachial plexus that maintain continuity with the spinal cord may be coapted to trunks or cords the surgeon wishes to innervate. This method is indicated in root avulsion injuries that occur frequently following traction trauma to the brachial plexus, causing paralysis of muscles.
