Dec 27, 2023 at 7:48 PM Update: 2 hours ago
An Italian man who suffered a paralyzed hand from a scooter accident may be able to use that hand again after a nerve transplant. The nerve comes from his own lower leg. It had to be amputated after the accident.
Surgeons at the CTO Hospital in Turin have managed to move part of the sciatic nerve to the brachial plexus. This is the network of nerves at the shoulder that control the nerves in the arm. The sciatic nerve provides, among other things, the connection to the foot. The patient no longer needed it.
Although nerve transplants are not new, the transfer of a nerve for the foot to the part for the arms is. According to Paolo Titolo, one of the participating surgeons, this is the first time that such a relocation has been successful. The operation was carried out on December 21, he said in conversation with on Wednesday Reuters.
The 55-year-old man on whom the procedure was performed must recuperate for the next five months. It must then also become clear whether the operation was successful. He says against Reuters that he was not aware of the groundbreaking aspect of the procedure. “I especially hoped that I could move my hand freely again.”
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2023-12-27 18:48:41
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