Surgery of the tetraplegic hand

A lesion affecting the spinal cord a cervical level involves paralysis of the upper extremities. Or what is the same, hand, wrist, elbow and shoulder become weak, and this limitation is more serious because this injury is highest. The hand may lose all its expressiveness and touch in a lesion of this size.

In the case of quadriplegic patient, his hands very limited mobility does not allow you to perform normal activities of daily living without the assistance of a third person. Hand Surgery quadriplegic patient provides a new opportunity to take actions that so far it proved quite impossible. It gives you more independence, such as to leave the power wheelchair and take the hand to move the wheels with their hands and their strength. Independence also entered the field of home, as it can toileting, dressing, eating alone, etc..

All quadriplegics who have active elbow flexion, or those with lesions controlled spasticity without stiffness in the hands, can benefit from this palliative surgery. Furthermore, it is imperative that the patient accepts your neurological injury and is collaborating. The collaboration of the family is also capital for once subjected to the operation and during the duration of rehabilitation, mobility is greatly reduced.

The surgery used depends on the level of neurological affectation of injury. The main objectives are the extension of the elbow, flexion and extension of the fingers and thumb flexion- opposition. In the extension of the elbow, the time that it must remain immobilized is four weeks. The opposition of the thumb flexion, however, the time of rehabilitation up to almost a year.