Adriana Serban

Adriana Serban

Integrated Therapeutic Strategies in the Rehabilitation of Upper-Limb Traumatic Peripheral Nerve Injuries

Traumatic peripheral nerve injuries of the upper limb remain a significant cause of long-term disability, chronic pain, and impaired quality of life, particularly among young and active individuals. While timely surgical repair restores structural continuity, functional recovery ultimately depends on early, sustained and neurophysiology-driven rehabilitation. Rehabilitation not only prevents secondary complications but also shapes the central and peripheral microenvironment required for reinnervation. Early postoperative care focuses on edema control, pain modulation, protective splinting and maintenance of passive mobility, establishing the biomechanical and neurobiological conditions for axonal regeneration. As reinnervation emerges, therapy transitions to progressive sensorimotor re-education, including graded sensory retraining, mirror-based visual feedback, bilateral tasks and neuromuscular facilitation to reverse cortical disorganization and reactivate functional motor units. Advanced rehabilitation incorporates task-specific practice, proprioceptive enrichment, neurocognitive methods and technology-assisted interventions such as neuromuscular electrical stimulation,
virtual reality and biofeedback, all of which exploit activity-dependent plasticity to refine fine motor control. Effective management requires close collaboration among surgeons, physiotherapists and occupational therapists to align surgical strategies with biological regeneration timelines and individualized therapy goals. This review synthesizes current evidence from neurobiology, surgical reconstruction and rehabilitation science, emphasizing the integration of sensory re-education and neuroplasticity-based techniques to enhance long-term hand function following upper-limb peripheral nerve injuries.

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Therapeutic Strategies in Flexor Tendon Lesions: A One-Year Retrospective Study to Guide Rehabilitation Protocol Standardization

Flexor tendon injuries of the hand are a common yet complex clinical challenge in reconstructive surgery, predominantly affecting young, working-age individuals and often resulting in significant functional impairment. Successful management requires a precise surgical approach combined with a structured, zone-specific rehabilitation protocol to restore optimal hand function. A one-year retrospective study was conducted in the Clinic of Plastic Surgery and Reconstructive Microsurgery at the Clinical Emergency Hospital Bucharest, reviewing the medical records of all patients admitted with traumatic flexor tendon injuries of the upper limb. A total of 58 patients with surgically confirmed flexor tendon injuries were included. Collected data encompassed demographic information, injury mechanism and anatomical location, zone classification, associated neurovascular injuries, timing and type of surgical intervention, and the rehabilitation protocols applied. All patients underwent operative treatment, followed by individualized rehabilitation programs tailored to the anatomical zone and severity of the injury. The data were analysed to identify patterns in injury aetiology, characteristics, and treatment strategies. These findings were compared with current literature and formed the basis for the development of a comprehensive, standardized rehabilitation protocol for flexor tendon injuries of the upper limb.

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Therapeutic Management of Breast Cancer Related Upper Limb Lymphedema

Lymphedema represents a chronic condition with impaired lymphatic transport, having primary and secondary etiologies. The most common type of secondary lymphedema in western countries is represented by breast cancer related upper limb lymphedema.
This condition, once installed, determines limb structure changes, progressive functional impairment, specific complications, consequently impacting the quality of patient’s life. An accurate diagnosis is mandatory, using both clinical and imagistic methods with clear definition disease extent as per standardized staging systems, in order to further provide an adequate therapeutic strategy.
The main therapeutic goal in patients with lymphedema is represented by limb volume reduction with subsequent symptoms relief, improving quality of life and avoiding complications such as recurrent infections. Through this paper, we aim to present a comprehensive overview of current therapeutic options of breast cancer upper limb related lymphedema.
Therapeutic approach comprises of non-surgical (conservative) therapy, which is mandatory as initial therapy and surgical procedures for selected cases. Most patients with lymphedema benefit from conservative treatment alone. In non-responsive cases, in patients with progressive disease, in late stage complicated lymphedema, and also recently added as prophylactic strategy, surgical treatment, trough recent developed techniques, offer very good results in long-term control of disease.
Surgical options are classified firstly in physiologic procedures that aim to create new lymphatic channels, promote physiologic drainage of the lymph and should be considered early in the course of the disease, and secondly ablative procedures that reduce through liposuction or various excision techniques the volume of the affected limb.
Both types of techniques can be combined to ensure the best functional outcome of the patient.

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