Nerve Transfer for Finger Sensory Reconstruction With Dorsal Branch of the Digital Nerve

The Second Hospital of Tangshan17 enrolled

Overview

A proper digital nerve (PDN) defect causes partial or complete sensory loss of the finger pulp, which results in functional disability.The dorsal branch of the PDN can be transferred for reconstruction of such nerve defects.In this study, the investigators modified the Lesavoy et al' technique and evaluated the efficacy of dorsal sensory branch transfer for PDN defects. For comparison, the investigators collected a consecutive series of 32 patients with finger PDN defects treated using a traditional sural nerve graft from February 2005 to October 2008.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Enrollment

Conditions

Sensory Restoration of the Reconstructed Finger Pulps Cold Intolerance of the Reconstructed Finger Pain of the Reconstructed Finger

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 15 YearsMax age: 50 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: 1. Finger PDN defects proximal to the proximal interphalangeal joint 2. Single or two PDN defects 3. PDN defects longer than 1 cm. Exclusion Criteria: 1. PDN defects less than 1 cm 2. Concomitant injuries to the multiple dorsal sensory branches that preclude their use as nerve donor sites 3. Thumb PDN defects.

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

static 2-point discrimination (2PD) test

At final follow-up, we measured the sensibility of the pulps and the donor sites using the static 2-point discrimination (2PD) test. The test points were at the center of the radial or ulnar portion of the pulp and the donor sites separately. Each area was tested 3 times with a Dellon-Mackinnon discriminator. Two out of 3 correct answers were considered proof of perception before proceeding to another lower value.

Time frame: 26 months

Secondary Outcomes

self-administered Cold Intolerance Severity Score (CISS) questionnaire

The maximum score was 100 and was grouped into 4 ranges (0-25, 26-50, 51-75, and 76-100), corresponding to mild, moderate, severe, and extreme severity, respectively.