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Nerve transfer surgery may restore hand function after spinal cord injury

NCT ID NCT01714349

Disease control Sponsor: Washington University School of Medicine Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed This study
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jul 06, 2026 · Last updated Jul 07, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This trial investigates whether nerve transfer surgery can restore hand function in people with cervical spinal cord injury. Participants undergo a personalized nerve transfer procedure to reconnect nerves and improve arm and hand strength. Researchers track changes in motor strength and daily function over four years. The study includes adults aged 18-65 with stable injuries and limited hand function.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
Nerve transfer surgery
What this could lead to
If successful, this surgical approach could restore meaningful hand function in people with spinal cord injury, improving independence and quality of life.
What could go wrong
This is a small, early-stage study with only 20 participants, and results may not apply to all injury types. Surgery carries risks like infection or incomplete recovery.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

20 people

The number who actually took part.

Start date

Oct 2012

Finished

Mar 2023

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 to 65 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: 1. 18-65 years of age 2. Informed Consent Document (ICD) signed by patient 3. Cervical spinal cord injury resulting in arm \& hand functional impairment, with at least preserved elbow function 4. International Classification of Surgery of the Hand in Tetraplegia (ICSHT) category 0 - 4 5. Patients with a stable American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) grade of A, B, or C, or with a diagnosis of central cord syndrome, showing minimal to no evidence of functional improvement in motor examination after at least 6 months of non-operative therapy post-injury 6. Appropriate candidate for nerve transfer study 7. Willing and able to comply with the study protocol 8. \< 48 months from injury Exclusion Criteria: 1. Active infection at the operative site or systemic infection 2. Any return or ongoing clinical recovery of distal motor function within 6 months after injury 3. Physically or mentally compromised 4. Currently undergoing long-term steroid therapy 5. Significant joint contractures and/or limitations in passive range of motion in the arm or hand 6. Active malignancy 7. Systemic disease that would affect the patient's welfare or the research study 8. Pregnant 9. Immunologically suppressed or immunocompromised 10. Significant pain or hypersensitivity 11. Previous or current injury preventing use of tendon transfers to restore upper extremity function 12. Affective disorder of a degree that would make outcome assessment and study participation difficult 13. History of brachial plexus injury or systemic neuropathic process

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

quadriplegia spinal cord injury

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Spinal cord injury

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Washington University

    St Louis, Missouri, 63110, United States

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