An elbow was transplanted to a patient after injury.

06.06.2016

In April 2016, a unique reconstructive plastic elbow transplantation from the left hand to the right hand was performed at the University of California Medical Center. It was attended by 10 doctors who, within 12 hours, carried out the restoration of the injured arm.

In 2009, Reginald Cook from the state of Texas had a car accident, which resulted in serious damage. For several months the man was in a coma. He had a head injury and multiple bone fractures.

After leaving the coma, the man was confined to a wheelchair due to paralysis of the legs. On his left hand, a nerve was damaged, which the doctors could not recover. The right hand, although it was moving, but not controlled, since the fractured elbow could not be restored due to the lack of joint fragments.

Surgeons decided to transplant a healthy elbow from the left hand to the right. Thus it was possible to ensure a man the full functioning of one hand.

For several months, doctors were preparing for a complex operation. The transplant was risky, since in case of a nerve damage on the right hand, there was no chance of restoring the functionality of the limb. To eliminate inaccuracies in the operation, a preliminary modeling of the future hand was carried out on a 3D printer.

Reconstructive plastic surgery was successful. A man can control his hand, bring it to his mouth, taking food on their own. The 37-year-old patient himself is very pleased with the result. He says that now he can be independent of his 14-year-old daughter.

Doctors give good predictions. They believe that during the year the hand will be strong enough for a man to support himself: eat, dress, and even walk, leaning on a cane.

Valeria Sokolova, news editor