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 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.

Objective To disclose the relationship of neuronal protective effect and different time interval after nerve grafting reconstructed C5 root resection in young rats.Methods Model of C5 resection was set up in 18-day-old SD rats from Jauary 2009 to December 2009.Forty-eight rats with C5 resection were randomly divided into C5 resection group,immediate repairing group,three 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 4 weeks postoperatively,the numbers of True Blue positively labeled neurons in all groups were counted respectively.Results There was no statistical difference among the number of proxinal neuron of immediate repairing group and those of 3,6 days delayed repair group (P ＞ 0.05),but compared with C5 resection group,the number of neurons was statistically higher (P ＜ 0.05).There was no statistical difference between the number of motoneurons of immediate repairing group and that of 9 days delayed repairing group(P ＞ 0.05),but there was statistical difference between sensory neurons of this two groups(P ＜ 0.05).The neuron number of inmediate repairing group was statistically higher than those of 12,15,18 days delayed repairing group(P ＜ 0.05).Conclusion Nerve reconstruction for C5 root injury in young rats within 0-9days (equal to 0-6 months in human beings) has a satisfactory protective effect on proximal neuron.It suggests that the OBPP children who have the operation indication should undergo surgical management in 6 months after their birth.

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

Objective To investigate the difference of the glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor and its receptor content of proximal neurons after nerve grafting was used to reconstruct C5 root in young rats.Methods Model of C5 resection was set up in 12 18-day-old SD rats.Experimental animals were divided in to two groups, one group for C5 resection, another for nerve grafting to reconstruct the C5 defection.At 4 weeks postoperatively, the immunohistochemical staining was performed and the number of GDNF and GFRa1 immunohistochemical positive neurons were calculated respectively.Results The number of GDNF positive neurons in spinal cord and dorsal root ganglion of C5 repairing group was 786.3 ± 176.84 and 2997.0 ±357.99, and that of C5 resection group was 335.0 ± 49.50 and 1632.0 ± 305.55.On the other hand, the number of GFRa1 positive neurons in spinal cord and dorsal root ganglion of C5 repairing group was 787.5 ±178.55 and 3111.0 ± 445.72, that of the other group was 397.3 ± 41.78 and 1588.3 ± 229.00.The statistical analysis result showed GDNF and GFR immunohistochemical positive neurons in spinal cord and dorsal root ganglion of C5 repairing group was statistically more than that of C5 resection group(P < 0.01 ).Conclusion The neuronal protective effect of nerve grafting after reconstructing brachial plexus nerve injury in young rats may be attributed to the increase of GDNF and its receptor GFRa1 content of proximal neuron.

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 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.