Median nerve mistaken for palmaris longus tendon: restoration of function with sensory nerve transfers

Intraoperative iatrogenic nerve injuries occur despite vigilance in the operating room. Most of these injuries occur as a result of patient positioning, traction or pressure injury, hematoma, or technical error. The median nerve is especially susceptible to injury during carpal tunnel release. A rare but devastating injury of the median nerve is complete transection. The number of devastating injuries is not well known, as few of the injuries are documented or publicized. We report a case where the median nerve was harvested instead of the palmaris longus tendon. We present a review of the literature and suggest an alternative treatment to median nerve grafting using sensory nerve transfers in the hand.