• Archives of Reconstructive Microsurgery
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.12-17
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• 2001

Recovery of nerve injury is conditioned by various factors including physical state, injured site, cause of injury, and neurorrhaphy Many researchers have reported on regeneration of nerve using end to side neurorrhaphy. The purpose of this study was to examine regeneration of nerve in various conditioned side to side neurorrhaphy. Total of 25 male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 220 to 250 gm were divided into five groups of five rats each. The group 1, sham group, composed of dissection only without nerve transaction. The group 2, control group, composed of nerve division only without neurorrhaphy or sural nerve graft. The group 3 composed of one segmental sural nerve graft between the tibial and peroneal nerve after division. Group 4 had two segment graft, and the group 5 with three segment graft, each segment being 6mm long and 5 mm apart. The side to side neurorrhaphy was performed between peroneal nerve and tibial nerve using segmental sural nerve graft in rats. We exposed the sciatic nerve, tibial nerve, peroneal nerve, and sural nerve on left side with prone position. The peroneal nerve was cut on the bifurcation site from tibial nerve and the side to side epineurial neurorrhaphy was performed between peroneal nerve and tibial nerve through 6 mm sural nerve segment graft with 11-0 nylon under operating microscope. The electromyography and the weight from ipsilateral tibialis anterior muscle was performed at one month after neurorrhaphy Peroneal and tibial nerve was examined at distal and proximal to the neurorrhaphy site by methylene blue stain under light microscope for histologic appearance. The number of nerve fibers were counted using the image analyzer. Statistically, both in electromyography and number of nerve fibers, the differences in values between the groups were significant.

• Archives of Reconstructive Microsurgery
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.86-89
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• 2013

The neuroma is a tumor of nerve tissue that partially or completely severed through incomplete regeneration process. Neuromas that formed in the stump of a limb following amputation is a cause of the stump pain and can make intractable pain. The authors report a rare case of 36-year-old man with neuroma at stump, which has been recurred three times. This patient was treated with end-to-end neurorrhaphy after resecting neuroma. Follow-up at out-patient clinic showed satisfied result.

• Archives of Reconstructive Microsurgery
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.138-143
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• 2005

In the high radial nerve palsy caused by displaced humeral shaft fracture, radial nerve have to be explored in the fracture site. 5 cases of the ruptured radial nerve at the fracture site of the humerus from January 1993 through January 2005 were treated at first by open reduction and internal fixation with plates and screws fixation and then defective radial nerves were grafted with autogenous sural nerves by microsurgical epineurial and or perineurial neurorrhaphy. At average 30.4 months follow-up, 5 cases were recovered from motor and sensory deficit with solid bony union of the humerus shaft fracture. Authors have confirmed that ruptured radial nerve in the humerus shaft fracture grafted with autogenous sural nerve with microsurgical epineurial and or perineurial neurorrhaphy would be expected good motor and sensory recovery.

• Archives of Reconstructive Microsurgery
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.128-136
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• 1996

Radial nerve injury is caused by variety of etiologies, mainly traumatic. It is primarily a motor nerve and loss of it's function leads to a significant disability. Surgical treatments of radial nerve comprise of neurolysis(internal or external), neurorrhaphy(eineural, perineural or epi-perineural), nerve graft and tendon transfer. However, there is still controversies in treatment methods and time of operation. Authors experienced 23 cases of radial nerve injuries who were treated by operative methods and followed up over 1 year's duration. The male to female ratio was 18 to 5 and mean age was 30.7 years old. The causes were 13 cases in fractures, 5 cases in crushing injury, 3 cases in laceration, 1 case in CO poisoning and 1 case in unknown cause. The summary of the study were as follows ; 1. Excellent or good results were obtained in overall 16 cases among 23 cases; 5 of 9 cases in neurolysis, 3 of 3 cases in neurorrhaphy, 2 of 3 cases in nerve graft and 6 of 8 cases in tendon transfer. 2. In cases of neurorrhaphy and nerve graft, primary or delayed repair showed excellent or good results and neurolysis performed before 6 months leads to better results. But there was no correlations between the time of injury and operation in tendon transfer. 3. The radial nerve injury associated with extensive soft tissue defect or any conditions that leads to nerve ischemia results poor prognosis. 4. The patients aged under 40 years showed better prognosis in clinical results according to the age of surgical treatment. 5. If the surgeon decide the method and the time of operation through the exact evaluation of the factors which influencing the end result such as age of the patient, level and type of injury, extent of nerve lesion and the associated tissue injury, good result could be expected.

• Archives of Reconstructive Microsurgery
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.121-127
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• 1996

Peripheral nerve injury occurs mostly by trauma and is usually associated with fracture of bone and joint, muscular injury and tendon injury and it also evokes paralysis and anesthesia. When treatment of peripheral nerve injury is considered,, the modality of treatment is decided by the general condition of the patient, type of injury, associated injuries and the condition of wound. To get the maximum results, surgical treatment and reconstruction and rehabilitation should all go in hand-in-hand. From January 1985 to December 1994, we observed 61 patients that had operation without reconstruction due to peripheral nerve injury with a follow-up period of more than 1 year. Among the 61 patients, 44 were men(72%) and 17 were women(28%). Follow-up period was average 19 months. Age distribution was mostly in their twenties with a mean age of 28 years. Time interval of operation after injury was average 11 months. Trauma was the main cause of peripheral nerve injuries with a proportion of 87%. 31 patients had neurorrhaphy, in which case 14 patients had stay suture and 17 patients did not. 14 patients had nerve graft, and 16 patients had neurolysis. We used our scales to compare the results of surgery on the basis of British Research Council System. We gave scores to every sensory and motor scale to estimate functional improvement and emphasized on motor functional improvement. The total score = sensory score + ($2{\times}motor$ score). We considered 8-9 points as excellent, 6-7 points as good, 2-5 points as fair, 0-1 points as poor result. We considered excellent and good as much improved. Excellent and good results were obtained in 13 out of 14 neurorrhaphy with stay suture(93%), 12 out of 17 neurorrhaphy without stay suture(71%), 6 out of 14 nerve graft(43%), 12 out of 16 neurolysis(75%). Among the patients with neurorrhaphy done within 3 months, 11 out of 14(86%) showed improvement, but among the patients after 4 months 3 out of 17(76%) showed improvement. 84% of improvement was observed in the patients with time interval from injury to surgery within 3 months, and 64% in the patients with time interval after 4 months. In the aspect of age, 77% with the age below 20 years, 70% with the age between 21 and 30 years, 66% with the age above 31 years showed improvement. We conclude that considering degree of injury, time interval from injury and age with the adequate method of treatment, we can obtain good results from surgery.

• Archives of Reconstructive Microsurgery
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.92-96
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• 1999

Neuroma is formed by abnormal, incomplete nerve regeneration after nerve injury. A painful neuroma in the hand can be psychologically and physically disabling. The goal of treating painful neuroma is to relieve pain and to restore nerve function. A numerous treatment modality was reported for alleviating the problem. These treatments include crushing the neuroma, ligating it, burying in soft tissue, bone, and muscle, injecting it with alcohol, phenol, and steroid, capping it with silicone cuff. But, none of these methods has been uniformly successful, although each has its advocates. No one technique reliably prevents formation of a painful neuroma. However, the principles of treatment is resection of neuroma and proximal stump of the nerve is transposed to appropriate adjacent tissue. Our current technique was resection of neuroma with partial normal neural tissue, and then the nerve ending was transposed and sutured to the side of the proximal stump with 10-0 nylon, so end-to-side neurorrhaphy was made. The nerve ending had to be placed and fixed into the proximal nerve epineurium like as a figure of a loop. We believe this technique is another useful method for the treatment of painful neuroma.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.25 no.11
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• pp.1278-1281
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• 1992

We have experienced two cases of traumatic subclavian artery rupture at the department of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery, Youngdong Severance hospital, Yonsei University college of medicine. One was combined with brachial plexus injury and the other was combined with brachial plexus injury and subclavian vein rupture. They were treated with graft interposition after segmental resection of ruptured subclavian artery and neurorrhaphy for brachial plexus injury. Post operative courses were not eventful.

• Archives of Reconstructive Microsurgery
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.52-57
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• 1995

The authors have reviewed 19 patients of brachial plexus injury who treated by operative methods at Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Korea University Hospital during the period from January 1989 to February 1994. All of these patients were followed up more than one year and following results were obtained. 1. The whole arm type injury was most common(7 of 19 patient) and supraclavicular lesion(15 of 19 patient) was more dominant than infraclavicular lesion(4 of 19 patients). 2. The neurorrhaphy, nurolysis, nerve grafting, and neurotization were performed for the primary neural surgery and secondary reconstructive procedure consist of musculotendinous transfer and free muscle transfer with neurotization. 3. The followed up period was from one year to four years and six months, average being two years and five months. 4. We have obtained satisfactory results in 12 patients among 19 patients.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.161-167
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• 2006

After total glossectomy, recovery of swallowing and speech function can greatly improve quality of life. The reconstructed tongue must be thick enough to contact with the hard palate for articulation. If the free flap is denervation, it may procede to have atrophy postoperatively. Therefor it is difficult to maintain the tongue volume for a long period of time. To resolve this problem, we have used a innervated rectus abdominis musculocutaneous flap and maintaining the volume through a neurorrhaphy. 7 patients underwent immediate reconstruction using a reinnervated rectus abdominis musculocutaneous free flap in which included intercostal nerve was anastomosed to the remaining hypoglossal nerve. The reinnervated rectus abdominis musculocutaneous free flap has provided good tongue contour with sufficient bulk and shown no obvious atrophy in all patients even though postoperative 9 months later. Considering swallowing and articulation, we concluded that reinnervated rectus abdominis musculocutaneous flap is a viable method after total glossectomy

• Archives of Reconstructive Microsurgery
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.120-126
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• 2000

Microsurgical reconstruction of the hand demands recovery of the sensation of the reconstructed free flap as well as microsurgeon's intelligence, technique and experience. Even with adequate soft tissue coverage and skeletal mobility, an insensate hand is prone to further injury and is unlikely to be useful to the patients. Authors have performed 8 cases of neurosensory free flaps in the hand, 4 cases of wrap around, 3 dorsalis pedis and 1 lateral arm flap, from July 1992 through June 1999 and followed up average 4 years and 4 months. Wrap around flap was performed for reconstruction of 4 cases of thumb, repairing deep peroneal nerve and superficial radial nerve by epineurial neurorrhaphy, and followed up for average 3 years and 10 months and calculated 9mm in the static 2 point discrimination test. Dorsalis pedis flap were 3 cases for reconstruction of the ray amputation, extensor tendon exposure and wrist exposure. Deep peroneal nerve and branch of the ulnar nerve was repaired by epineurial neurorrhaphy calculating 6mm and superficial peroneal nerve and superficial radial nerve averaging 18mm in the static 2 point discrimination test for follow up average 2 years and 9 months. Lateral arm flap was 1 case for reconstruction of the ray amputation in the hand repairing posterior cutaneous nerve to the arm to the superficial radial nerve calculating 20mm for follow up 6 years and 8 months.