Forgoing Upper-Extremity Reconstructive Surgery After Cervical Spinal Cord Injury: A Qualitative Prospective Cohort...

Individuals with cervical spinal cord injury (SCI) rate restoration of upper extremity (UE) function as their top priority. Despite positive outcomes, rates of tendon transfer (TT) surgery remain low, particularly in the United States. The purpose of this study was to better understand why eligible individuals with SCI forgo surgery in an era of expanded treatment options using nerve transfers (NT).

Data were collected from adults with midcervical SCI who chose not to undergo UE surgery. A semistructured interview guide was developed and used to elicit information about the surgical decision-making used by the patients and their caregivers. Interviews were transcribed, coded by a team of researchers, and analyzed using conventional content analysis. Findings were summarized into themes. The study adhered to the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research guidelines.

This study included data on 16 primary study participants with SCI (94% men, mean age 39 years, median time since injury 9 years) and eight caregivers. Reasons to forgo both TT and NT surgery included the following: (1) fear of degradation of UE function, (2) desire for more gains in function than can be achieved by surgery, (3) adjustment to existing function, (4) competing priorities, (5) expect natural recovery or a cure, and (6) previous negative health care interactions.

Despite the advent of newer NT that augment traditional TT options to restore UE movement in SCI, barriers to UE reconstruction persist. Providing detailed information on surgical risks, outcomes, and comparative data about gains from natural recovery alone could improve shared decision-making about these effective, but underutilized surgeries.

This analysis examines reasons why people forgo upper-extremity surgery for cervical SCI despite the advent of newer NT that have expanded treatment options and decreased the need for postoperative immobilization required of traditional TTs.