Cervical Spondolytic Amyotrophy

This is a condition that results from compromise of the nerves where they exit the neck (anterior horn cells and nerve roots). Symptoms present as painless and progressive weakness of muscles in the arm or hand usually without significant sensory findings. Because the level of injury is high up at the neck, we have employed nerve transfers to treat this condition. The most common presentation of this disease includes loss of elbow flexion, loss of shoulder abduction and shoulder external rotation. In effect, this simulates the same injury pattern as an upper brachial plexus injury and therefore we use the same set of nerve transfers to restore this function.