Treatment methods for nerve damage and muscle atrophy

In life, muscle atrophy caused by nerve damage caused by trauma and other reasons is a relatively common disease. This disease must be taken seriously. If it is not treated as soon as possible, it will seriously affect your physical health. The following content introduces in detail the treatment methods for muscle atrophy caused by nerve damage. For many patients with muscle atrophy caused by nerve damage, you can have a comprehensive understanding.

1. Non-surgical treatment

For peripheral nerve injuries, regardless of whether surgery is performed or not, the following measures should be taken to maintain limb circulation, joint mobility and muscle tone, and prevent deformities and trauma. Paralyzed limbs are susceptible to trauma, frostbite, burns and pressure injuries, so they should be protected.

2. Surgery

In principle, the sooner a nerve is repaired, the better. Sharp weapon injuries should be repaired in the first stage. For firearm injuries, no first stage repair is required during early debridement. Second stage repair should be performed 3 to 4 weeks after the wound heals. If sharp weapon injuries are not repaired in the early stage, secondary repair should be sought. The best time for secondary repair is 3 to 4 weeks after wound healing. The main surgical treatments are neurolysis and nerve anastomosis.

3. Nerve transfer and transplantation

In hand injuries, nerve transfer can be used to repair the nerves of other damaged fingers using nerve transfer from the residual finger. In the upper extremity, the superficial radial nerve can be transferred to repair the sensory nerve distal to the median nerve or the superficial ulnar nerve. In case of brachial plexus root injury, the phrenic nerve can be transferred to repair the musculocutaneous nerve, and the motor branch of the cervical plexus can be transferred to repair the axillary nerve or suprascapular nerve. Autologous nerve transplantation is the first choice for nerve transplantation. The nerves commonly used for transplantation include the sural nerve, saphenous nerve, medial forearm cutaneous nerve, lateral femoral cutaneous nerve, and superficial branch of the radial nerve.

4. Muscle transfer

When nerve damage cannot be repaired, muscle transfer is performed to restore function. For example, when the radial nerve injury cannot be repaired, the flexor muscles can be transferred to replace the extensor pollicis, extensor digitorum common and extensor wrist muscles; when the ulnar nerve cannot be repaired, the superficial flexor digitorum can be transferred to replace the interosseous muscles and lumbrical muscles; when the thenar branch of the median nerve cannot be repaired, the superficial flexor digitorum, ulnar extensor carpi or abductor digiti minimi can be transferred to replace the opponens pollicis; when the musculocutaneous nerve cannot be repaired, part of the latissimus dorsi or the pectoralis major can be transferred to replace the biceps brachii, and so on.

The above content introduces in detail the treatment methods of muscle atrophy caused by nerve damage. For many patients who have nerve injuries and muscle atrophy, they must pay attention to it. After understanding the treatment methods introduced above, in order to recover their bodies as soon as possible, they should use the correct treatment methods as soon as possible to restore the muscle atrophy caused by nerve damage as soon as possible through treatment.