Supplemental Methods
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Supplemental Methods: Patients: Inclusion criteria were patients 18 years of age and older with a lower trunk or C8-T1 pattern of brachial plexus injury and a minimum of 6 months postoperative follow-up. The indication for brachialis to FDP muscle transfer was a lack of active finger flexion in patients with a history of lower trunk or C8-T1 pattern of brachial plexus injury at greater than 9 months from injury with no sign of nerve recovery on clinical exam as well as electromyogram. Additionally, triceps motor function of BRMC grade 2+ or greater was required to provide significant antagonist force to balance the elbow flexion force generated with firing of the brachialis muscle transfer. Patients were excluded if they were younger than 18 years of age, had a triceps of grade 2 or less, or sustained other injuries which precluded the use of the brachialis or FDP for tendon transfers. Patient demographic data including age, sex, BMI, smoking status, age at time of injury, mechanism of injury, co-morbidities, and history of previous reconstructive surgery. Patients were follow-up at regular intervals following surgery for functional assessment until their functional level had plateaued. Patients initially received a full evaluation for motor strength by the three senior authors (AYS, ATB, RJS), including but not limited to trapezius, supraspinatus, infraspinatus, deltoid, biceps, triceps, pronator teres, flexor digitorum profundus, extensor digitorum communis, extensor carpi radialis longus and brevis, and first dorsal interosseous motor strength. Motor strength was graded using a modified British Medical Research Council Grade (BMRC) 2,15. BMRC grading is reported as follows: M0 – no contraction, no joint motion, and no EMG reinnervation; M1 – EMG reinnervation, but no joint motion; M2 – perceptible joint motion, however insufficient power to act against gravity; M3 – muscle act against gravity; M4 – muscle acts against resistance; and M5 – muscle acts against strong resistance. Each author independently graded motor strength, and it was then discussed and a consensus grade was obtained if there were disagreements. In order to obtain a BMRC grade of 3, the patient had to have active motion against gravity equal to passive motion. Additionally, a greater grade could not be obtained unless the criteria were met for the lower grade Table 13,16. Functional outcome assessments at follow-up visits included BMRC grade finger flexion, functional grasp – defined as the ability to hold a fixed object placed in the palm, grip strength, range of motion, functional outcomes utilizing the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) Score and patient self-reported satisfaction. Total operative time, complications, number of subsequent surgeries related to the brachialis tendon transfer and factors affecting outcomes (motor strength of remaining forearm musculature, type of tendon graft, BMI, time from injury, associated non-nerve injuries) were also evaluated. Statistics: Descriptive statistics were used to summarize data, including percentages and counts for categorical and ordinal data and means with interquartile ranges for continuous data with variability presented as standard error of the mean. Differences between groups were compared using the two-sample t-test for continuous variables and the chi-square test (or Fisher’s exact test) for categorical variables. All analyses were carried out using the JMP statistical software package (Version 8, SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC). A p-value less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Operative Technique: Under general anesthesia, patients were positioned supine with a sterile tourniquet placed on the upper arm. A 10 cm incision is created 2 cm proximal to the medial epicondyle extending proximally anterior to the bicipital groove [Figure 1A]. The medial antebrachial cutaneous nerves are identified and protected, and the dissection is carried through the antebrachial fascia. The median nerve and brachial vessels are then identified and protected [Figure 1B]. The biceps is identified as well as the lateral antebrachial cutaneous nerve and protected. The entire brachialis muscle is isolated and the radial nerve identified and protected. The distal insertion of the brachialis is taken off the coronoid and elbow capsule with care to protect the lateral antebrachial cutaneous nerve [Figure 1C]. The brachialis is elevated off the distal anterior humerus from distal to proximal to the level of the distal third of the humerus [Figure 1D]. The broad brachialis tendon is then tubularized, and an autograft or allograft tendon is Pulvertaft woven into the brachialis and augmented with non-absorbable sutures as needed.[Figure 1D]. Gracilis tendon allografts were used two thirds of the time (n=11) with the remainder of patients receiving gracilis tendon autografts (n = 2), semitendinosus allografts (n = 2), or posterior tibialis allografts (n = 3). A longitudinal incision 8 cm incision in the volar forearm is used to isolate the FDP tendons at the level of the musculotendinous junction [Figure 1E and F]. The elongated brachialis tendon is passed into the forearm, under the lacertus fibrosis and under the FDS which acted as the pulley to prevent bowstringing with transfer excursion [Figure 1G]. The FDP tendons are tensioned individually until symmetric flexion of the fingers is achieved and a side to side tenodesis of the FDP tendons is performed with three nonabsorbable size 0 sutures. The brachialis-tendon graft construct is appropriately tensioned to achieve full finger flexion with the elbow in 30 degrees of extension and the wrist in 30 degrees of extension. The brachialis-tendon graft and FDP transfer is completed in the forearm exposure with three Pulvertaft weaves [Figure 1H-J]. Following brachialis to FDP tendon transfer, additional procedures may be performed to augment prehension, including: thumb interphalangeal (IP) arthrodesis, thumb carpometacarpal (CMC) arthrodesis, brachioradialis (BR) to flexor pollicis longus (FPL) tendon transfer, pronator teres (PT) to abductor pollicis brevis (APB) tendon transfer, and PT to FPL tendon transfer. After all concomitant procedures had been performed, the tension on the brachialis muscle to FDP transfer is re-assessed; in elbow and wrist flexion, passive extension of the fingers and thumb should be easily produced and in elbow extension and wrist extension, the fingers should form a tight grasp with the thumb resting on the index finger. The patients are then placed in a bulky dressing and long arm splint with the elbow flexed at 90 degrees and the wrist in 30 degrees of extension, which is exchanged at two weeks for an above elbow cast. The patients are immobilized in a long arm cast for six weeks during which passive finger range of motion with gentle active flexion (by light elbow flexion in the cast). At six weeks, the patients commence hand therapy with protective resting splints worn for 3-4 weeks. .