[After-care regimen after muscle replacement operations in brachial plexus lesions]

Following augmentation of the upper extremity muscles necessitated by damage to the brachial plexus, special post-operative care programs are required to provide the patient with the best possible results. Proper care requires cooperation between the orthopedic surgeon, physical therapists and nurses. Only then can postoperative rehabilitation and functional control of the extremity improve. We describe interdisciplinary postoperative care programs for augmentation of the deltoid muscle with trapezius transfer, arthrodesis of the glenohumeral joint, biceps augmentation with the latissimus dorsi transfer, Steindler flexorplasty and augmentation of flexors/extensors muscles in the hand.