Outcomes of Direct Facial-to-Hypoglossal Neurorrhaphy with Parotid Release

Lesions of the temporal bone and cerebellopontine angle and their management can result in facial nerve paralysis. When the nerve deficit is not amenable to primary end-to-end repair or interpositional grafting, nerve transposition can be used to accomplish the goals of restoring facial tone, symmetry, and voluntary movement. The most widely used nerve transposition is the hypoglossal-facial nerve anastamosis, of which there are several technical variations. Previously we described a technique of single end-to-side anastamosis using intratemporal facial nerve mobilization and parotid release. This study further characterizes the results of this technique with a larger patient cohort and longer-term follow-up. The design of this study is a retrospective chart review and the setting is an academic tertiary care referral center. Twenty-one patients with facial nerve paralysis from proximal nerve injury at the cerebellopontine angle underwent facial-hypoglossal neurorraphy with parotid release. Outcomes were assessed using the Repaired Facial Nerve Recovery Scale, questionnaires, and patient photographs. Of the 21 patients, 18 were successfully reinnervated to a score of a B or C on the recovery scale, which equates to good oral and ocular sphincter closure with minimal mass movement. The mean duration of paralysis between injury and repair was 12.1 months (range 0 to 36 months) with a mean follow-up of 55 months. There were no cases of hemiglossal atrophy, paralysis, or subjective dysfunction. Direct facial-hypoglossal neurorrhaphy with parotid release achieved a functional reinnervation and good clinical outcome in the majority of patients, with minimal lingual morbidity. This technique is a viable option for facial reanimation and should be strongly considered as a surgical option for the paralyzed face.     

胫-腓总神经侧侧缝合治疗下肢痉挛性脑瘫近期效果观察

目的：提出一种治疗下肢痉挛性脑瘫的新方法并探讨其机制。方法：6例下肢痉挛性脑瘫患者。将支配痉挛肌群和支配其拮抗肌群的胫神经和腓总神经干进行侧侧缝合；大腿后侧切口显露两神经干的近端约5cm后相互靠拢，切开两神经相邻面的神经外膜和束膜约2cm，切至神经纤维后，再相互并拢缝合外膜。4例患者手术同时辅以内收肌切断或跟腱延长术。结果：经过5-10个月的随访，6名患者的肢体痉挛，畸形均有缓解，其中5例患儿在不附加额外刺激的情况下，已无痉挛发作，恢复了患肢的主要功能。肢体功能尚随着时间的延长而进一步改善。结论：胫-腓总神经侧侧缝合后，脑瘫患者术后痉挛肌群可获得部分拮抗肌群神经的支配从而通过改变大脑皮层定位来最终缓解肢体痉挛，是治疗脑瘫的新的有效方法之一。     

Direct coaptation of extensive facial nerve defects after removal of the superficial part of the parotid gland: an anatomic study

BACKGROUND: In the surgical repair of facial nerve paralysis, a tension-free end-to-end coaptation of the trunk or its branches with or without rerouting is functionally superior to grafting. Assuming that a lengthening of all branches of the parotid plexus can be attained by removal of the superficial part of the parotid gland and mobilization of the branches, we performed an anatomic study. METHODS: The parotid regions of 10 cadavers were dissected to investigate the length gained for the branches of the parotid plexus by this technique. Every branch at the upper and ventral border of the gland was marked by a surgical suture. After removing the superficial part of the parotid gland, the branches were cut at the suture, and the proximal stump was drawn toward the distal stump. The distance of the overlapping stumps was measured by means of an electronic gliding caliper. In addition, in five specimens only the trunk of the facial nerve was dissected by the same method, and the distance of the overlapping stumps was measured. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The results demonstrate that removing the superficial part of the parotid gland may be sufficient to enable direct coaptation without nerve grafting. Cut temporal or zygomatic branches with a gap of up to 15 mm and cut buccal or marginal mandibular branches with a gap of up to 23 mm can be bridged by mobilization of just the proximal stumps. This technique may also be used to bridge a 17-mm gap of the trunk of the facial nerve.     

侧侧缝合法治疗不完全性周围神经损伤的实验研究

目的： 种新的治疗不完全性周围神经损伤的方法一侧侧缝合法，并对其疗效进行初步的实验研究。方法：SD大鼠12只，双下肢随机分为实验侧和对照侧。将两侧腓总神经在相同部位以相同的力度钳夹损伤；实验侧将损伤的腓总神经远端与胫神经靠拢后，切开相邻面的束、外膜，互相侧侧缝合，对照侧不作进一步处理。3个月后，对神经的再生情况进行肌电图、组织学等检查。结果：实验侧腓总神经远端有良好的神经再生，再生的神经纤维质量与对照侧相比有显著差异（P＜0．05）。结论：不完全性周围神经损伤经侧侧缝合修复，可以获得较好的再生；侧侧缝合法是一种新的修复不完全性周围神经损伤的方法。     

Intra-Operative Electromyographic Monitoring of Extra-Ocular Motor Nerves (Nn. III, VI) in Skull Base Surgery

Summary  Background. Extraocular motor nerves (Nn. III, IV, VI) are at risk of damage during skull base surgery. A new recording technique was employed in 18 patients suffering from various skull base tumours in order to extend intra-operative EMG monitoring to the extra-ocular muscles.  Methods. Selective intra-operative EMG recordings were obtained from extra-ocular muscles by placement of single-shafted bipolar needle electrodes under the guidance of B-mode ultrasound to visualise the needle tip within the target muscle in the orbital cavity.  Findings. Following bipolar electrical stimulation, the oculomotor nerve (N.III) was intra-operatively identified in 5 out of 7 cases, and the abducens nerve (N.VI) in 12 out of 18 cases. Postoperative (3–6 months) oculomotor nerve function remained unchanged in 5 and improved in 2 patients. No permanent deterioration was observed. Abducens nerve function deteriorated in two patients and improved in one case, but remained unchanged in 15 cases. No side effects occurred. There was neither any distinct relation of ocular motor nerve function to the kind and extent of SMA (“spontaneous muscle activity”) patterns, nor could such relationship be detected with concern to neurophysiological parameters (latencies, amplitudes) of electrically evoked CMAP (“compound muscle action potentials”).  Interpretation. The EMG technique proposed proved to be mainly effective as a mapping tool for intra-operative localisation and identification of ocular motor nerves in skull base surgery. However, the predictive value of conventional neurophysiological parameters for clinical outcome, seems to be rather poor. Further studies on a larger number of patients are therefore required to develop new quantification techniques which enable an intra-operative prediction of ocular motor nerve deficits. Further efforts are also necessary to extend this technique to the trochlear nerve.     

周围神经缺损修复研究进展

周围神经损伤并形成缺损临床上较常见,治疗仍然是临床面临的一个巨大挑战.由于周围神经解剖和功能上的特殊性,其损伤修复是一个复杂的过程,精细的显微外科技术可以较好地恢复神经的连续性,但神经功能的恢复仍不令人满意.近年来,国内外学者始终还在为此进行着不懈的努力,在许多方面取得成就,尤其是异体神经移植已应用于临床.     

End-to-side repair of thenar motor branch of median nerve to the ulnar nerve after excision of the median nerve neurofibroma

A 13-year-old male patient suffering for the past 5 years with a gradually swelling and occasionally painful volar side of right forearm, presented to our clinic without any trauma. An end-to-side nerve repair performed between the ulnar nerve and thenar motor branch, and second common digital nerve to the digital nerve of the first finger for mend the sensorial, digital, and motor impairments related to the median nerve associated plexiform neurofibroma that occured after the excision of the tumor.     

Comparison of assessment tools to score recovery of function after repair of traumatic lesions of the median nerve

In this paper the recovery after repair of the median nerve has been used to compare different assessment tools for evaluation of peripheral nerve function: touch (moving 2-point discrimination (2PD); Semmes-Weinstein (SW) monofilament, motor (Medical Research Council (MRC) scale), combined motor and sensory (Dellon modification of the Moberg pick up test; Moberg Recognition test), and pain (visual analogue scale; pinprick-test). The mean (SD) age of our 28 patients was 28 (12) years. The mean (SD) follow-up period was 5 years, 2 months (2 years, 8 months). On the operated side three patients (11%) had a moving 2PD of less than 4 mm. The results of the moving 2PD were compared with those of the SW monofilaments, but with a poor correlation. The MRC score correlated well with opposition movement of the thumb and muscle wasting (p<0.01). We recommend a number of tests to evaluate (the chronological return of) peripheral nerve function.