J Reconstr Microsurg 1996; 12(2): 71-76
DOI: 10.1055/s-2007-1006456
ORIGINAL ARTICLE

© 1996 by Thieme Medical Publishers, Inc.

Split Nerve Grafting

Dagmar Eberhard, Hanno Millesi
  • Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Surgical Clinic, University of Vienna Medical School and Ludwig-Boltzmann Institute for Experimental Plastic Surgery, Vienna, Austria
Further Information

Publication History

Accepted for publication 1995

Publication Date:
08 March 2008 (online)

ABSTRACT

Twenty-five patients with severe brachial plexus lesions (having a rather poor prognosis in general), were subjected to a variety of split nerve graft procedures, with 22 achieving useful functional recovery. Thirty-eight nerves were reconstructed, with 32 of them achieving useful recovery. Results in these patients were no better nor worse than those obtained with other types of nerve grafts (e.g., free cutaneous nerve grafts, vascularized nerve grafts, etc.). The technique of splitting the ulnar nerve for the use of split fascicle groups as free nerve grafts is nevertheless recommended as an alternative to the application of the ulnar nerve as a vascularized nerve graft. The plexiform arrangement of the fascicles within the ulnar nerve apparently does not preclude the possibility of harvesting sufficiently long nerve grafts.