Sensory abnormalities after the seventh cervical nerve root transfer

Twenty-four patients with root avulsion of brachial plexus were treated wit h the contralateral C7 root transfer. The area of sensory abnormalities was found on the thumb in 20 cases (83.33%), index finger in 14 cases (58.33%) , middle finger in 8 cases (33.33%), ring finger in 3 cases (12.5%), little finger in 11 cases (45.83%), on the radial side of forearm in 9 cases (37. 5%), thenar area in 12 cases (50%), and hypothenar area in 8 cases (33.33%) . No patient had normal sensation after the seventh cervical root transfer. Sensory abnormalities disappeared within 3 months in all except one patien t, who still had sensory abnormalities on the tip of index finger for more than 20 months after the operation. (C) 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.