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Hand Transplantation

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The Hand and the Brain

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Abstract

Hand transplantation is a controversial surgical procedure that can result in useful hand function but requires lifelong medication with immunosuppressive drugs to prevent rejection. Nerve fibres from the recipient’s residual forearm must regenerate into the transplanted hand to reinnervate its intrinsic muscles and sensory receptors. A key issue is restoring sensory functions in the transplanted hand to achieve functional integration. Although more than 70 hand transplants have been performed in more than 50 patients so far, these procedures are only performed in select cases at a few world centres.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hand Surgery Department of Clinical Sciences, Malmö Lund University Skäne University Hospital, Malmö, Sweden

    Göran Lundborg MD, PhD

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  1. Göran Lundborg MD, PhD
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© 2014 Springer-Verlag London

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Lundborg, G. (2014). Hand Transplantation. In: The Hand and the Brain. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-5334-4_15

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-5334-4_15

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, London

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4471-5333-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4471-5334-4

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