Clinical application of the branch to the long head of triceps brachii from radial nerve in the restoration of axillary nerve paralysis

doi:10.3321/j.issn:1673-8225.2004.20.011

Abstract：BACKGROUND: Axillary nerve injury is very common in clinic with different methods in the treatment as well as different effectiveness, of which most of the treatments require sacrifice of the function of one adjacent nerve.OBJECTIVE: To introduce the anatomic features and the effectiveness in clinical application of the branch to the long head of triceps brachii from radial nerve in the restoration of axillary nerve.DESIGN: A vertical observatory study along with the direction of nerve stem was conducted.SETTING and PARTICIPANTS: Data were collected from Guangzhou First People's Hospital Affiliated to Guangzhou Medical College. Sixteen perfused adult corpse specimens and 6 patients admitted by our hospital were selected in our study.METHODS: Sixteen perfused adult corpse specimens were used for routine exposure of axillary nerve and the branches to long head of triceps brachii to observe the number of the branches of axillary nerve and the subbranches of the branch of radial nerve, and the relationship of abut, as well as the calibre of each nerve branches were measured. The anatomic features observed were perspectively applied on 6 clinical patients. All patients were received a postoperative follow-up and periodically check up of the muscular force dominated by axillary nerve.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The results of anatomic observation and the effectiveness of clinical application.RESULTS: The branch to long head of triceps brachii was apart from axillary nerve by the long head itself; therefore, it was every easy to transposition; the horizontal calibre of long head branch was close to those of the anterior and posterior branches of axillary nerve, which was easy to anastomoses. In 6 clinical applied patients, after a postoperative follow-up of 6 to 16 months, it was found that there were 5 cases with grade Ⅳ + muscular force and one case with grade Ⅲ muscular force, and there was no impact on the extension of elbow.CONCLUSION: The procedure is simple and easy to manipulate. It issuitable for the restoration of axillary nerve paralysis with partially injured bracbial plexus and normal triceps brachii.