Clinical outcome of elbow extension restoration by posterior deltoid-to-triceps transfer in tetraplegia: a retrospective review of 51 patients

Abstract

In this study, we report the functional and perceived outcomes of 51 posterior deltoid-to-triceps transfers in patients with tetraplegia. With a minimum follow-up of 12 months, patients were divided into two subcategories based on preoperative posterior deltoid strength: Medical Research Council (MRC) 3 and MRC 4/5. At 12-month follow-up, all patients achieved antigravity elbow extension. Patients with a stronger posterior deltoid (MRC 4/5) attained an elbow extension with a strength grade MRC 3.7 (SD 0.6), while those with a weaker posterior deltoid (MRC 3) reached an elbow extension of MRC 3.1 (SD 0.6). Patient-reported outcome measure was evaluated using the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) and demonstrated a significant improvement for both performance and satisfaction. No difference in the COPM scores could be found between the two subcategories. This study indicates that tetraplegic patients with a posterior deltoid strength grade of both MRC 4/5 as well as MRC 3 benefit from the procedure. Level of evidence: III