The Role of Desflurane in the Functional Outcomes Among Spinal Cord Injury Patients Undergoing Upper Extremity Nerve Transfer Procedures

This study investigates whether the type of anesthesia used during nerve transfer surgery in spinal cord injury (SCI) patients affects their recovery. They looked at two common anesthetics, sevoflurane and desflurane, and compared the muscle strength and hand function of patients who received each one. The study found that patients who received desflurane tended to have better motor strength in the reinnervated muscles compared to those who received sevoflurane. However, there was no significant difference in hand function scores between the two groups. The researchers suggest that desflurane might have a protective effect on the nerves, leading to better recovery. They also point out that other factors, like the type of nerve transfer and the severity of the spinal cord injury, can also influence the outcomes.

• 1
  The desflurane group had greater median motor strength than the sevoflurane group towards the final follow-up when the desflurane group had median motor strength of 3 [interquartile range (IQR): 1-4] and sevoflurane group had a median motor strength of 1 (IQR: 0-2.25); p=0.014.
• 2
  Logistic regression analysis showed that type of nerve transfer and preop AIS (ASIA Impairment Scale) grade were significantly associated with higher odds of improvement of motor power by at least 2 grades.
• 3
  While median values for all the scores were better for the desflurane group than the sevoflurane group at the latest follow-up, there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups