Nerve transfer to relieve pain in upper brachial plexus injuries: Does it work?

Objectives: Patients with C5 and C6 nerve root avulsion may complain from pain. For these patients, end-to-side nerve transfer of the superficial radial nerve into the median nerve is suggested to relieve pain.

Patients And Methods: Eleven patients (with a primary brachial plexus reconstruction) undergoing end-to-side nerve transfer of the superficial radial nerve into the ulnovolar part of the median nerve were assessed. Pain before surgery was compared to that at 6-month follow-up using visual analog scale (VAS) scores.

Results: A significant difference was seen between the mean VAS before (8.5) and after surgery (0.7) (P=0.0). After the six-month follow-up, 6 patients felt no pain according to VAS, notwithstanding 5 patients with a mild pain.

Conclusion: The evidence from the present study suggests that end-to-side nerve transfer of the superficial radial nerve into the ulnovolar part of the median nerve is an effective technique in reducing pain in patients with C5 and C6 nerve root avulsion.