Anterior interosseous nerve transfer to the motor branch of the ulnar nerve for high ulnar nerve injuries.

Abstract

Primary repair of a high ulnar nerve injury results in a uniformly poor outcome as a result of the great distance between the site of injury and the innervated muscles. In this study the authors present two cases of high ulnar nerve injuries in adults. Reconstruction was performed using the distal branch of the anterior interosseous nerve, which was transferred to the distal motor branch of the ulnar nerve. This resulted in timely return of function to the ulnar-innervated intrinsic muscles of the hand, which was documented further by electromyography. For high ulnar nerve injuries, this type of nerve transfer is a much better approach than the traditional primary neurorrhaphy.