J Korean Orthop Assoc.  2000 Jun;35(3):539-544.

The Relationship between Effective Muscle Index and Elbow Flexion Power after Steindler Flexorplasty

• Baek GH
• Jeong HS
• Jo HC
• Kim JH
• Chung MS

Abstract

PURPOSE
The most common cause of failure after Steindler flexorplasty has been known insufficient power of the transferred muscles. We develop "effective muscle index" which is calculated from the actual strength of each muscle to predict postoperative flexion power of the elbow for preventing the failure of the surgery.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
We reviewed 10 patients who received Steindler flexorplasty from Aug. 1983 to Jan. 1997. We calculated "effective muscle index" with power of each transferred muscle, tension fraction2) by Brand, 1981, correction index of the magnitude of transferring muscle and correlated the "effective muscle index" with postoperative elbow flexion power.
RESULTS
Excluding 4 out of total 10 patients who had grade 1 or 2 power of biceps and brachialis, "effective muscle index" has borderline significance with the postoperative flexion power of the elbow (p=0.123) .
CONCLUSION
The authors concluded that the "effective muscle index" is maybe considered as a useful index for predicting the postoperative flexion power of the elbow after Steindler flexorplasty.

Keyword

Elbow; Brachial plexus injury; Steindler flexorplasty

MeSH Terms

Elbow*
Humans
Muscles