Transfer of Supinator Motor Branches to the Posterior Interosseous Nerve to Reconstruct Thumb and Finger Extension in Tetraplegia: Case Report

We treated a patient with tetraplegia who had paralysis of thumb and finger extension by transferring supinator motor branches to the posterior interosseous nerve. Surgery was performed bilaterally, 7 months after a spinal cord injury. Six months after surgery, with the wrist in neutral, extension of the thumb and finger were almost full, bilaterally. In tetraplegic patients with strong wrist extensors, supinator motor branch transfer is a promising new alternative for the reconstruction of thumb and finger extension. (J Hand Surg 2010;35A:1647-1651. Copyright (C) 2010 by the American Society for Surgery of the Hand. All rights reserved.)