Hand Nerve Injuries

About Hand Nerve Injuries

The hand depends on a delicate web of nerves for sensation and movement. The median, radial and ulnar nerves are its three main highways, each guiding specific muscles and skin territories. When these nerves are injured or paralysed, patients face significant functional and emotional challenges. Kayakriti's hand nerve repair surgery focuses on restoring this circuitry as accurately as possible.

The median nerve originates in the brachial plexus and supplies many forearm and hand muscles. Median nerve palsy commonly follows wrist lacerations, fractures or compression. The thumb base muscles atrophy, leading to loss of opposition and pinch. Sensation is lost over the thumb, index, middle and half of the ring finger. Early peripheral nerve injury hand surgery within a year offers the best results.

If the nerve is cut, surgical excision of the damaged segment and microsurgical repair or grafting should be done as early as possible, ideally within twelve months of injury for nerve damage treatment hand outcomes. In late presentations or when the nerve is beyond repair, tendon transfers strengthen weak movements. A functioning tendon is rerouted to substitute lost actions, often combined with limited nerve work.

For median nerve palsy, an opponensplasty re-routes a working tendon to the thumb's outer aspect, restoring the ability to bring the thumb out and form a meaningful pinch. The radial nerve, the third major nerve of the forearm, runs from the neck down the back of the arm and into the hand. Radial palsy similarly benefits from microsurgery nerve repair or carefully selected tendon transfers.

What to expect

• Detailed history of injury, weakness pattern and sensory loss.
• Examination of grip, pinch, wrist drop and hand muscle bulk.
• Nerve conduction studies, EMG and imaging to plan surgery.
• Microsurgical nerve repair or grafting under high magnification.
• Tendon transfer surgery for late or unreconstructable nerve injuries.

Recovery

• Splint or slab is applied for a few weeks after nerve or tendon surgery.
• Light desk work resumes in three to four weeks for most patients.
• Manual or grip-intensive jobs need three to six months of rehabilitation.
• Final functional gains evolve over six to twelve months with hand therapy.