United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

Hi, I'm trying to help a mom who's child has had a complete avulsion from the spinal cord. That is there is nothing there to attach the nerve to. The doctor who performed her primary did not do anything to this nerve and said that it could not be fixed. It is my understanding that even complete avulsions can be fixed. My son did not have this severe an injury, so am wondering if I was wrong about it being fixed. Is there a picture somewhere that I can't point to that would show her how they would fix this type of injury? I'm thinking they would graft it to the nerve above or below it, correct? Thanks for any information.

Kari

Hi! my daughter had 3 avulsions. c7.8 and t1. They cleaned up 5 and 6 and then attached the grafts there. I would have her call TCh for info.
Jenny

Kari,
My son had C6 avulsed. C5 was ruptured, so they grafted C5 back together and attached C6 to C5. I have a diagram of his injury I can scan and send to her. If she's interested she can feel free to email me at cpfranklin@psualum.com.
Cindy

My son's was also avulsed. TCH can fix this. As far as pictures, she should check out Francine's website. Everything you need is there. I wonder how it would work since she's already had a primary surgery. Sounds very painful! Poor baby!

here's the picture you are looking for...it shows how avulsions are repaired:

http://www.texaschildrenshospital.org/C ... hpage2.htm

I'm very sorry to hear this news. It makes me very sad for the child.

My daughter had 3 avulsions, C-8,T-1 and T-2. They used intercostal nerve grafts for her instead of the sural nerve from the leg. Hers were all torn from the spinal cord. By using the intercostal nerves from the ribs the message from the brain is rerouted so to speak. The signal still goes to the nerve through the rib muscles but is rerouted through the nerves of the brachial plexus to give arm/hand function.

It is my understanding that this is different than sural nerve grafting since sural nerves are cut on both ends and transplanted to repair damaged or torn nerves by reattaching both ends of the sural nerve to replace or bypass damage. Intercostal nerve grafts are only cut on one end and attached to nerves in the brachial plexus so they get a direct feed from the brain- which in the case of avulsions at the nerve roots is needed since there is no connection left to the brain.

Hope you can get this info to your friend and give her some support.She needs to know there is information out here that she is not getting from her current doctors.

Hi,

I live in Finland and my daughter has C8-T1 avulsions.

There has been some attempts to reattach the avulsed nerve to the spinal cord, but it is a very risky operation and I know that I would never take that risk with my child. I think the doctors are still just studying this.

In a way, avulsion can not be fixed, but the avulsed nerve can get new nervation from donor nerves. Of course the problem is that the nervation is taken away from some other place...

My daughter had a big neuroma in C5-C6, rupture (possible partial avuslion) of C7 and the C8-T1 avulsion. The doctor took nervation to the avulsed nerves from middle trun (usually it goes to C7), and then took some nervation to the C7 from C6.

Jocey had total avulsion before the primary surgery at the Texas Childrens her arm was totally dead. no movement or sensation of any kind on her whole left arm. The surgery was 13 hours and she was three days at intensive care. But after that agony we had the reward of get sensation on her whole arm and she now she could move the upper arm and elbow. Now is six years after the primary. They are working now on her wrist and fingers.

Hi,
Thats great to hear from you. I would like to know what has been done to regain those movements. i would like to know what kind of surgeries patient underwent in these six years. Your help is highly appreciated. Thank you
VINAY


Message was edited by: alurivinay