Volume 41, Issue 6 pp. 557-561
CASE REPORT

Neurotized free VRAM used to create myoelectric signals in a muscle-depleted area for targeted muscle reinnervation for intuitive prosthesis control: A case report

Jialun Li MD

Jialun Li MD

Division of Plastic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA

Department of Plastic Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China

Search for more papers by this author
Tony Chieh-Ting Huang MD, MSc

Tony Chieh-Ting Huang MD, MSc

Division of Plastic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA

Search for more papers by this author
Arif R. Chaudhry MD

Arif R. Chaudhry MD

Division of Plastic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA

Search for more papers by this author
Sean Cantwell MD

Sean Cantwell MD

Division of Plastic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA

Search for more papers by this author
Steven L. Moran MD

Corresponding Author

Steven L. Moran MD

Division of Plastic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA

Correspondence

Steven L. Moran, 200 1st Street SW, MA1233W. Rochester, Minnesota. 55905, USA.

Email: [email protected]

Search for more papers by this author
First published: 13 February 2021
Citations: 2

Abstract

Targeted muscle reinnervation enables native muscles to send electromyographic signals to myoelectric receptors, which drive movements in a prosthesis. This system requires voluntary contracture of muscles for sequential control of powered prosthetic joints. This report describes a surgical solution for cases where the chest wall is depleted of muscle targets. A 13-year-old boy with left forequarter amputation and pectoralis major resection as a result of extended necrotizing facilities 8 years prior received a neurotized free Vertical Rectus Abdominus Mycocutaneous (VRAM) flap (28 × 10 cm) designed to produce myoelectric signals, reduce pain, and provide stability for prosthetic fitting. Five intercostal nerves from the VRAM were coapted to portions of the brachial plexus to create a myoelectric interface for targeted muscle reinnervation. The postoperative course was uneventful. At 39 months of follow-up, the patient gained control of the transferred VRAM and was able to operate a custom-fitted myoelectric prosthesis together with contraction of the ipsilateral infraspinatus muscle. The neurotized VRAM transfer created a neural interface in an area with depleted neuromuscular targets while decreasing pain and adding tissue bulk for proper prosthesis fitting. Such a surgical strategy may have applications in other areas of the body.

DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT

All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article.

The full text of this article hosted at iucr.org is unavailable due to technical difficulties.