Exploring Outcomes and Mediating Factors Following Supercharged End-to-Side Anterior Interosseous Nerve to Ulnar Nerve Transfer: A Scoping Review With Expert Insight

Purpose
This scoping review with expert insight aims to map outcome measures following supercharged end-to-side anterior interosseous nerve to ulnar nerve transfer procedures, integrating clinical, patient-reported, and electrodiagnostic measures. It also explores surgical rationale and recovery trajectories, aiming to standardize methodologies and enhance patient care in nerve transfer surgeries.

Methods
Our search encompassed multiple online databases, including MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, and Google Scholar, ensuring rigor and comprehensiveness in identifying relevant literature.

Results
Through scrutiny of 17 studies involving 300 patients from 300 articles, along with expert consultations on supercharged end-to-side nerve transfer for ulnar nerve entrapment, promising outcomes emerge, particularly in cubital tunnel syndrome. Primary measures such as Medical Research Council scale assessments and Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand scores demonstrate notable postsurgery improvements, with minor complications noted. Factors influencing recovery include preoperative dysfunction duration and surgical technique. Surgery indications prioritize high ulnar nerve injuries and severe cubital tunnel syndrome.

Conclusions
The review highlights the importance of standardized outcome measures, early intervention, and comprehensive rehabilitation for optimizing supercharged end-to-side anterior interosseous nerve to ulnar nerve transfer outcomes.

Contributors

Tachit Jiravichitchai, Maryam Farzad, Joy Christine MacDermid, Pulak Parikh, Stahs Pripotnev, Hand Surgery Expert Group

Publication

Journal: Journal of Hand Surgery Global Online
Volume: 6
Issue: 5
Pages: 636 - 644
Year: 2024
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhsg.2024.06.003

Further Study Information

Current Stage: Completed
Date:
Funding source(s): Dr Farzad reports support from Mitacs through the Mitacs Accelerate program. Dr MacDermid reports support from Canada Research Chair in Musculoskeletal Health Outcomes and Knowledge Translation, as well as the Dr James Roth Chair in Musculoskeletal Measurement and Knowledge Translation. Additionally, her work receives funding from a foundation grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (#167284).


Health Area

Disease Category: Orthopaedics & trauma

Disease Name: ulnar neuropathy

Target Population

Age Range: 0 - 120

Sex: Either

Nature of Intervention: Surgery

Stakeholders Involved

- Clinical experts

Study Type

- Recommendations for outcome measures (measurement/how)
- Systematic review of outcome measures/measurement instruments

Method(s)

- Consultations
- Systematic review