Long-term sensibility outcomes of secondary digital nerve reconstruction with sural nerve autografts: a retrospective...

Recovery of sensibility after digital nerve injury is crucial for restoring normal hand function. We evaluated long-term outcomes of digital nerve reconstruction with autografts.

This retrospective study included patients who underwent secondary reconstruction of digital nerves with nerve autografting. Recovery of sensibility was evaluated based on the following: patient self-assessment, two-point discrimination (2PD), and a total sensation score (sum of proprioception, temperature sensation, and sharp/dull discrimination). Mixed models regression was used to study predictors of sensibility outcomes. The predictors analyzed were age, sex, smoking status, number of fingers involved in a patient (as a measure of injury severity), time to reconstruction, and time to follow-up.

In 61 patients, 174 digital nerves in 126 fingers were reconstructed after an average of 33.1 weeks from injury. The mean follow-up was 6.4 years from reconstruction. The mean graft length was 3.6 cm. Self-rated sensibility in the affected area was very good in 13% of patients, good in 33%, satisfactory in 40%, and poor in 24%. 2PD at 6 mm was present in 17% of patients, at 10 mm in 12%, and at 15 mm in 18% (mean 2PD was 10.8). Proprioception was preserved in 107 (85%) fingers, sensation of temperature was preserved in 99 (75%) of fingers, and sharp/dull discrimination in 88 (70%) fingers. Time from injury to reconstruction was the only significant predictor of the total sensation score.

Our data indicate that earlier reconstruction is associated with a favorable outcome.