Tendon Transfer for Old Radial Nerve Paralysis

There have been many reports in the medical literature of the successful treatment of radial nerve palsy by tendon transplantation. The history of these operations since Drobñik's description,⁴ in 1896, has also been reviewed. The work of Sir Robert Jones,⁶ in 1916, crystallized the thinking on this subject and has been the basis of subsequent surgery. Many reports followed, chronicling the successful treatment of radial nerve palsy with various modifications of the Jones technique. The largest series of cases were accumulated in the experience of military surgeons during the great world wars. Experience in civilian practice is limited to the occasional cases.

The purpose of this paper is to report the successful treatment of a case of radial nerve palsy coming to surgery 24 years after nerve injury. In our patient we were concerned with the limiting factors in tendon transfer many years after the destruction of the