United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

Hello everyone I have posted in the past and have not posted in away, but still read everyday on here. The question I have for you's is? My injury was is June 0f 2004 I had surgery 6 months after my DR. took a branch of the ulnar nerve and plugged it into the biceps muscle and I can bend my elbow up past 90 degrees. I had tendon transfers to get more wrist and finger function and all was a success. MY BIG QUESTION IS I have c5-c6 avulzions can the MAYO CLINIC do anymore for me as for as shoulder stablity and pray maybe for more range. I read so much about the Mayo Clinic and how great and wonderful they are. Am I a candidate maybe to fly out and see them or is it to far past injury date with muscle athrophy. Can anyone help me with this question. thank you all...

hi wes,

take a look at a post on the previous page. it is entitled trapezius and muscle transfer surgery. This may be a next step for shoulder stability. Glynn had the surgery last week. im sure if you reply to it, his wife Alecia would be happy to tell you more.
good luck!

I am 90% sure of it. I too have C5, C6 and C7 avulsions and I was there 12 years post my accident and they STILL had transfers they could do for me to get more range of movement.

Do you feel the transfers were worth it? I have no use of my left arm & hand and am planning to meet with the doctors at Mayo.

Of course I want more use of the arm, but wonder if it is minimal, will it all be worth what I gain?

Heddi

great question. I chose not to any of their ideas only because I was a mother of 3 small children at the time and at that point I had lived longer with my injury than not. I had adjusted my life to accommodate my injury. It was a long road ahead of me by doing the transfers and I was finally living MY life, not living my injury anymore.

Hi Wes,

Alecia again... I didn't see this post before you asked me specifically about going to Mayo. I didn't realize you'd already had some surgery post accident.

So, please allow me to modify my response.

Glynn also had no stability. With the transfers done last week he was nearly gauranteed external rotation. With the pec and trap transfer included as well, it appears as though he has some flexion and abduction.

I don't know what movement is like for your hand, i.e do you have to do anything different to make your hand work. For this procedure, Glynn will have to shrug his shoulder for abduction. Pinch his shoulder blades for external rotation, and pinch his pec for flexion. It's never going to be 100%... but even 30 degrees of flexion and abduction beats his hand hanging in a not so good place for a man....
For Glynn,