Tetra Hand Surgery
Restoring arm and hand functions in the case of tetraplegia
Restoring arm and hand function is vitally important for people with tetraplegia. We do everything we can to improve the functional ability of the upper extremities and therefore to give the person living with spinal cord injury a bit of independence.
The most important surgical techniques available to us are tendon and nerve transfer.
In tendon transfer, functioning muscle-tendon units are transferred to muscles that are no longer working. This makes movement possible again. Tendon transfers are tried-and-tested, reliable procedures. Patients can start practising the new movement even on the first day after the operation, although it will take several weeks to train the new function and integrate it into daily life.
During nerve transfer, functioning nerves are relocated to nerves that are no longer working. Following a nerve transfer, it will take several months for the nerve fibres to grow up to the target muscle and for new muscle function to become visible. Nerve transfers should ideally be carried out within four to six months after the spinal cord injury in order to achieve a good result. The nerve transfer that we carry out most frequently restores the extension of the fingers and thumb.
The most important objectives that we can achieve with surgical procedures are to restore elbow extension and the ability to grip with the hand.
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