Tendon transfer surgery is usually performed by transferring functional muscles
to nonfunctional or paralyzed muscle in order to improve and restore the
function at recipient area without effecting donor site.

There are many condition s where tendon transfer surgery is the only option to
restore function like prolonged nerve injury, brachial plexus injury, wrist drop,
foot drop, damaged tendon due to rheumatoid, cerebral palsy, stroke, spinal
cord atrophy and other congenital condition like hypoplastic thumb etc.

Every muscle has two ends, during tendon transfer surgery, one end, called
origin of muscle,where muscle is attached to bone and is supplied by blood
vessel and nerve left in place while other end, called insertion, was detached
and resewn to its new location, so when the muscle moves it will produce a
different function depending on where it is transferred.

Common example of tendon transfer surgery is a condition called wrist drop in
which paralysis of wrist extensors leads to non functional hand, a muscle for the
outward turning of forearm is transferred on wrist tendons for its function and
this procedure generally restore lost wrist function.

Your surgeon will take complete history and examine you for the availability of
transferable tendons. Tendon transfer surgery is generally performed under
general anesthesia. There will be multiple cuts which will be stiched after
transferring muscle, your surgeon will apply a plaster for few weeks to months
depending on type of tendon transferred . tendon transfer surgery is followed by
therapy to teach you new function and when your tendon healing completes you
will be needing exercises to increase your strength.
Its important to follow postoperative instructions carefully otherwise there is a
chance that your transferred muscle don’t work properly.

FAQS

1. How is it possible to do finger movements with wrist muscle?
Our brain learn quickly, just like we learn to drive a car and our brain understand
that certain muscle function leads to car speed and brake and we don’t need to
think which muscle to move for hitting the brake
2. Is this procedure painful?

This procedure is generally done under general anesthesia and after the
surgery you will receive different kinds of painkillers, so it will not be excruciating
painful but obviously some pain is expected.
3. My plaster is very heavy, can I remove it?
No, as for few weeks your tendons will tend to break on movement to its not
possible to remove the plaster, but there are different options of available like
fiberglass which can be very light weight as well as more strong then traditional
plasters.

 

Written by : Dr. Obaidur Rahman
Copyrights: Pakistan association of Plastic Surgeons