This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Letters to the Editor: Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when Letters to the Editor are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow E-mail this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My File Cabinet
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Paul, S. D.
Right arrow Articles by Tognella, M.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Paul, S. D.
Right arrow Articles by Tognella, M.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us   Add to Technorati  
What's this?

The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Vol 76, Issue 10 1451-1456, Copyright © 1994 by Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Inc

JOURNAL CONTENTS

Single-stage reconstruction of key pinch and extension of the elbow in tetraplegic patients

SD Paul, H Gellman, R Waters, G Willstein and M Tognella
Rancho Los Amigos Medical Center, Downey, California.

The results in ten arms of nine patients who had post-traumatic tetraplegia at the fifth or sixth cervical level were reviewed after combined transfer of the brachioradialis to the flexor pollicis longus and of the posterior part of the deltoid to the triceps tendon to restore key pinch and extension of the elbow. The average age of the patients was twenty-nine years, the average time from the injury to the operation was five years, and the average duration of follow-up was thirty-one months. Key pinch improved from essentially none preoperatively to an average of 2.0 pounds (0.9 kilogram) postoperatively: an average of 3.0 pounds (1.4 kilograms) for the patients who had tetraplegia at the sixth cervical level and an average of 0.9 pound (0.4 kilogram) for those who had tetraplegia at the fifth cervical level. Key pinch was favorably influenced by extension of the wrist, while the position of the elbow had no effect. Maximum active extension of the elbow against gravity was within 20 degrees of full extension in eight of the ten arms. There was an improvement in the performance of activities of daily living, including wheelchair use, and most of the patients discontinued use of special equipment for the upper extremity. The results of this study, when compared with those of each procedure performed separately, suggest that a combination of the operations improves function of the upper extremity and shortens the duration of dependence postoperatively.
Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Technorati Technorati    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 JBJSHome page
W. M. Murray, V. R. Hentz, J. Friden, and R. L. Lieber
Variability in Surgical Technique for Brachioradialis Tendon Transfer. Evidence and Implications
J. Bone Joint Surg. Am., September 1, 2006; 88(9): 2009 - 2016.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]