ABSTRACT
From 1986 to 1991, 82 patients with brachial plexus root avulsion were operated on
using a con-tralateral C7 nerve-root transfer Forty-four patients underwent a one-stage
procedure in which the distal end of the ulnar nerve was anastomosed to the contralateral
C7 root, and the other 38 underwent a two-stage procedure (first phase: C7 root →
ulnar nerve; second phase: ulnar nerve → recipient nerve). Twenty postoperative cases
were followed-up for 2 years. Of them, the ulnar nerve was transferred to the musculocutaneous
nerve in six cases, with recovery of the biceps up to M3 in four and S3 in five cases;
the ulnar nerve was transferred to the median nerve in eight cases, with recovery
of the wrist and finger flexors up to M3 in five and S3 in six cases; the ulnar nerve
was transferred to the radial nerve in four cases, with recovery of the triceps up
to M4 in two and S3 in three cases; and the ulnar nerve was transferred to the thoracodorsai
nerve in two cases, with recovery of the latissimus dorsl to M4 in one case. The total
muscle recovery rate (up to M3) of the series was 60 percent, and the sensory recovery
rate (S3) was 78 percent Outcomes were related to patient age, operative delay, and
whether or not the ulnar nerve was used as a bridge for transfer
