Surgical rehabilitation of the upper limb in quadriplegia

Fifteen quadriplegic (tetraplegic) patients from the Spinal Injuries Unit of the Austin Hospital have had surgery to improve function in 17 of their upper limbs. Changes in strength, function, subjective ratings and the influence on 198 activities of daily living are reviewed. The posterior third of the deltoid muscle was transferred into 8 triceps tendons to provide active elbow extension in seven patients. Six patients had transfers of forearm muscles to provide grasp and lateral pinch or active extension of wrist and fingers. Other operations included transfer of the latissimus dorsi to the forearm producing elbow flexion, medial advancement of the anterior deltoid origin improving shoulder control (an operation which has not been described previously), and tenodesis for stabilizing the wrist. The objective results were satisfactory in 12 patients. Eleven patients had either good or excellent subjective results. The maximum force of active elbow extension achieved was 6.8 kg and the peak grip strength reached was 10.5 kg. Six patients achieved subjective results higher than would have been expected from objective assessment. All patients benefited in some way, 13 patients felt that surgery was worthwhile and no patient lost appreciable function. The results of this series indicate that upper limb surgery has a definite place in rehabilitation of the quadriplegic patient. Improved surgical technique may reduce the time required for postoperative rehabilitation and thus make these procedures feasible for a larger number of patients.