Hand surgery,as a specialty in China,was established and advanced by Wang Shu-huan who unceasingly cre ated innovative skills and trained a lot of talented hand surgeons.Later on,department s of hand surgery were established in Beijng,Tianjin and Shanghai.Hand surgery e xperienced great development after1978when the first classic Hand Surgery was published.Hand Surgery Group of Orthopaedic Associa-tion of China Medical Association wa s established in 1984,and changed its name to Hand Surgery Association of China Me dical Association in 1994.Journal of Hand Surgery was established in 1985,and changed its name to Chinese Journal of Hand Surgery in 1993.The survival rate of replant ed limbs(digits)was raised unceasingly.After replantation of limb,graftin g of phalanges of foot,and flap graft,more achieve-ments were made,such as antebrachia l flap transfer(Yang Guo-fan),reconstruction of hand(Yu Zhong-jia),and contralateral C7root transfer(Gu Yu-dong).2cases of xenoma limbs transplantation were c onducted by Professor Pei in Nanfang Hospital in September 2000.Although the history of hand surgery is not long,much has been achieved.It is well believed that hand surgery will see greater progress in the future. [

86 cases of defect of thumb with defect of metacarpal bone were operated by the second toe transfer to reconstruction of the thumb, of which 82 cases were successful occuping 95. 6% of total cases. The metacarpal-phalangal arthral reconstruction of the thumb was completed by the hemi-arthral and full-arthral transplantation of metatarsal-phalangee joint of second toe. The results of follow-ups after operation revealed that the degree of movement of the joint was 26 in the former, 36% in the latter. The reconstruction of the first web by means of the local flap of the dasalis manual; dasalis pealical flap and groin flap. Fair results were obtainded with 63.2 %; 87. 1% and 100%. respectively. The disadvantages of groinflap method are timeconsuming, and incomfortable in position. The operative methods vary with the degree of the defect of the matacarpal bone and the condition of the web space

[Objective]To observe the complications after surgical treatment of thoracic outlet syndrome and to analyze causes and prevention of complications.[Methods]A retrospective review was done for 62 cases of thoracic outlet syndrome which had been treated by operation from January 2002 to January 2006.All the complications occrred were collected in the following time.[Results]Follow up time was 14 months to 30 months.According to assessment standard described by Wood,treatment outcome was excellent in 26 cases,good in 16 cases,fair in 11 cases and poor in 9 cases.Nine of all the 62 patients had been found complications,including hematoma in 3 cases,lymphadenectomy in 2 cases,cervical plexus injury in 2 cases,phrenic nerve injury in 1 case,brachial plexus injury in 1 case and pneumothorax in 1 case.All the patients were successfully treated.[Conclusions]The occurrences of complications are related to the skill of operation and individual differences of patients.In order to decrease and finally prevent these complications,operative experiences and preventive measures are needed.

Objective To compare activated and normal Schwann cells in GAP43 gene expression. Methods 10 male SD rats, weighed from 100 g to 120 g. The right median nerve of SD rats was transected at the axillary level and was buried in muscle for predegeneration. 1 week later, the distal segment of the transected right median nerve with 1 cm long was harvested. The untreated left median nerve was harvested as control with same length. The epineurium of nerve was stripped, then the nerve tract was cut to small pieces. Schwann cells were obtained by way of double kinases digestion with 0.25% trypsin and 0.03% collegenase. The right median nerve was activated with additional liquid during digestion so as to obtain the activated Schwann cells. The normal Schwann cells were harvested from left median nerve. rt-PCR was used for GAP43 gene enlargement. mRNA was distilled from activated Schwann cells and untreated Schwann cells respectively. Then the mRNA was reversely transcripted to cDNA with SuperScriptTM, and cDNA worked as template for PCR enlargement. The product of PCR was separated with 1% agarose gel electrophoresis for 40 -50 min and stained with SYBR Green Ⅰnucleic acid gel. Fluorescence intensity of GAP43 PCR products was measured and then compared between the experiment group and control group. Results The Fluorescence intensity of GAP43 PCR product of activated Schwann cells was higher than that of normal Schwann cell. There was significant difference (P=0.003, Paired t test). It indicated that GAP43 mRNA of activated Schwann cells was much more than that of the normal Schwann cells. Conclusion GAP43 gene expression is up regulated in activated Schwann cells in contrast to normal Schwann cells. Activated Schwann cells secreting more GAP43, which may be one of the important mechanisms in promoting nerve regeneration.

Objective To investigate the effect of nerve grafting to enzyme histochemical changes on neurons after brachinal plexus nerve in jury in young rats. Methods Model of C5 resection was set up in 24 18-day-old SD rats. Experimental animals were divided in to two groups, one group for C5 resection, another for nerve grafting in repairing the C5 defection. At 4 weeks postoperatively, cholinesterase (CHE) and acidphosphatase (ACP) histochemical stain of neurons in C5 anterior horn and dorsal root ganglia (DRG) were detected. Results Compared with C5 resection group, bio-activity of CHE of C5 repairing group was statistically higher, and that of ACP was statistically lower. Conclusion Nerve grafting has protective effect on survival of neurons after brachial plexus nerve injury in young rats.

Objective To establish a experimental method for evaluating nerve regeneration after operation by means of tracing the retrograde axonal plasm flow by 125 I HRP Methods Eighteen SD rats were used The right sciatic nerve of mouse was transected at the site 0 8cm distal to sciatic notch and then anastomosed immediately Four weeks later,500?l of 125 I HRP solution was injected into the right musculi triceps surae The right sciatic nerve segment proximal to the anastomosis site was cut for checking up the intensity of radioactivity in each tissue at 24 hours after injection The fiber number of nerve distal to the site of anastomosis were calculated The relationship between the intensity of radioactivity and the fiber number was analysed Results The relationship between the intensity of radioactivity of sciatic nerve segment proximal to the site of anastomosis and the fiber number of distal sciatic nerve segment was correlation and there was statistic significance. Conclusion The status of nerve regeneration distal to the site of anastomosis can be evaluated by means of intensity of 125 Iodine in the nerve segment proximal to the site of anastomosis

Objective To analyse the alterative characteristics of electrophysiology by detecting somatosensory evoked potential(SEP) during cerebral remodeling after transfer of healthy C7 nerve root both in patients and normal individuals. Methods From 2002 to 2003, 12 cases of the left total brachial plexus nerve root avulsion were surgically treated by transferring healthy C7 nerve root to impaired median nerve through bridged ulnar nerve. The waveform of SEP of bilateral cortical expressions were recorded after stimulating median nerve of impaired upper extremity at the wrist and elbow. Meanwhile, latent period and amplitude of wave of SEP, and nerve conduction velocity from the level of wrist to elbow were exhibited and compared. Results There were differences of the latency and amplitude of SEP in normal individuals between two sides of cerebrum to some extent. In the healthy sides (first group), difference of latency of SEP on two sides of cerebral cortex had no statistical significance but in the reverse for the amplitude of SEP. For the diseased sides(second group), difference of amplitude of SEP for both sides of cerebral cortex between the patients and the nonmal individuals were of statistical significance, but on the contrary for the change of latency of SEP. Conclusion Cerebral cortex dominating affected extremity is able to bring up functional remodeling electrophysiologically after nerve transfer of healthy C7 nerve root. Shortened latency and augmented amplitude discrepancy of SEP recorded on both sides of cerebral cortex were preliminary electrophysiological criterions. After contralateral C7 nerve root transfer, the examination of SEP can offer data of corresponding cortex "reinnervation", which provides objective evidence for further treatment to promote functional recovery and cortical plasticity.

Objective To evaluate the efficacy of the nerve grafting and nerve transfer (neurotization) in the treatment of early obstetrical brachial plexus palsy(OBPP). Methods 48 cases with TassinⅡ-Ⅳ lesion who had no any recovery of elbow flexion, the brachial plexus were explored from 3 to 14 months after birth. The method of nerve repair depended on findings during operation. For the traumatic neuroma, it should be resected and the defect be repaired by nerve grafting with neurotization; the root avulsion was repaired by neurotization; neurolysis was only performed to those plexus that looked nearly normal and had a positive reaction of neurophysiology as tested intra-operatively. The reconstructive procedures included: C5→upper trunk, accessory →supraspinal nerve (2 cases); C5,6→the posterior and the anterior division of the upper trunk respectively, accessory →supraspinal nerve (25 cases); C5,6→the posterior and anterior divisions of the upper trunk respectively, C7→middle trunk, accessory →supraspinal nerve (4 cases); C5→posterior cord, C6→lateral cord, accessory →supraspinal nerve (5 cases); C5→anterior division of the upper trunk, C6→C8, accessory →supraspinal nerve (1 case); C5-7→the posterior, lateral and medial cords respectively, accessory →supraspinal nerve (4 cases); C5→upper trunk, C6→lower trunk (or medial cord), accessory →supraspinal nerve (2 cases); C5,6→the lateral and medial cords respectively, accessory →supraspinal nerve (3 cases); neurolysis (2 cases). Results All the patients were available at follow-up at least for 36 months, who were studied according to both of the Gilberts shoulder and elbow rating system and the Raimondis hand scale system. The score of shoulder, elbow, and hand in 13 cases with Tassin Ⅱ lesion improved from preoperative 0.54, 1.92 and 3.23 to postoperative 3.77, 4.92 and 4.31 respectively; 11 cases with Tassin Ⅲ rose from 0.46, 1.82 and 1.91 to 3.27, 4.18 and 3.64, and 24 cases with Tassin Ⅳ had an elevation from 0.25, 1.25 and 0.33 to 2.92, 3.46 and 2.83. The medial rotation contracture of the shoulder without subluxation and dislocation was found in 7 cases(14.6%) in the process of recovery. Conclusion The resection of the traumatic neuroma combined with nerve grafting and neurotization is really effective in the treatment of early OBPP.

Peripheral nerve injury of a limb usually causes functional reorganization of the contralateral somatosensory cortex.However, the patients with an operation of the contralateral seventh cervical nerve (C7) transfer to an injured arm with brachial plexusroot avulsions usually have the sole tactile sensibility of the healthy hand when the injured hand is touched at the early stage after theoperation. Then, at later stage they gradually get normal sense from the injured and the normal hands independently. Mimicked theprocess in a rat model based on the above operation, representations of the injured forepaw and the healthy forepaw in thesomatosensory cortex were studied by means of somatosensory evoked potential (SEP) recording. Somatosensory function shown inSEP response amplitude and peak latency of the injured forepaw gradually recovered with time after the operation due to thecontralateral C7 regeneration toward the injured limb, accompanied with the recovery process of limb movement. The somatosensoryrepresentation of the injured forepaw was observed exclusively in the ipsilateral somatosensory cortex since the 5th month after theoperation. Accordingly, the overlapped representation of the injured and healthy forepaws emerged in the ipsilateral somatosensorycortex of 13 rats studied except one with separated representation though the SEP latency and response amplitude were different inresponding to stimuli on the two forepaws. It is concluded that the contralateral peripheral nerve transfer to the injured arm can causedynamically functional reorganization in the ipsilateral somatosensory cortex suggesting a remarkable plasticity of the brain functioninduced by an alteration of sensory input between two sides of the body in adult rats.

Objective To disclose the relationship of the target muscle function and different time interval after nerve grafting reconstructed C5 root resection in young rats.Methods Model of C5 resection was set up in 48 18-day-old SD rats.The rats were randomly divided into C5 resection group,immediate repairing group,3 days delayed repairing group,and 6,9,12,15,18 days delayed repairing groups.Each group experienced nerve grafting bridged the C5 nerve root defection at its time interval.At 6 weeks postoperatively,electrophysiological and histochemical experiment were performed.Results There was no statistical difference among the data of CMAP amplitude and latency and weight of target muscles and number of distal myelinated fiber of immediate repairing group and those of 3,6 days delayed repair group at 6 weeks postoperatively,but compared with C5 resection group,the dates was statistically higher.There was no statistical difference between the data of C5 resection group and that of 15,18 days delayed repairing group.Conclusion Nerve reconstruction for C5 root injury in young rats within 0-6 days (equal to 0-4 months in human beings) has a satisfactory protective effect on target muscles.It suggests that the OBPP children who have the operation indication should undergo surgical management in 4 months after their birth.