Comparison Between Supercharged Ulnar Nerve Repair by Anterior Interosseous Nerve Transfer and Isolated Ulnar Nerve Repair in Proximal Ulnar Nerve Injuries.
PURPOSE
To compare combined ulnar nerve repair with supercharged end-to-side anterior interosseous nerve to ulnar motor nerve transfer (UR+SETS) with conventional isolated ulnar repair techniques in proximal ulnar nerve transection, with respect to intrinsic muscle power recovery and claw hand deformity correction.


METHODS
We conducted a comparative matched-paired series prospectively on 21 patients with proximal ulnar nerve transection injury. Eleven patients were managed by UR+SETS and 10 by isolated ulnar repair. The outcome was reported at 3, 6, 12, and 18 months using the score of Birch and Raji and Brand's criteria.


RESULTS
A total of 21 patients with acute proximal ulnar nerve transection injury had completed 18 months' follow-up. We observed better results in the UR+SETS group regarding the return of intrinsic function and reduction of deformity with earlier improvement in the score of Birch and Raji and Brand's criteria.


CONCLUSIONS
In the short term, UR+SETS transfer appears to result in better intrinsic muscle reinnervation and clawing deformity correction after proximal ulnar nerve transection injury.


TYPE OF STUDY/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE
Therapeutic II.
['Koriem|Eslam|E|', 'El-Mahy|Mohamed Mostafa|MM|', 'Atiyya|Ahmed Naeem|AN|', 'Diab|Ramy Ahmed|RA|']
D005542:Forearm D006801:Humans D016067:Nerve Transfer D017535:Ulnar Artery D014459:Ulnar Nerve
transection injuries Direct repair end-to-side repair proximal ulnar nerve lesion supercharged repair