Supercharged end-to-side transfer

End-to-side coaptation of the distal anterior interosseous nerve to the ulnar motor branch, leaving the injured ulnar nerve in continuity, described by Barbour and Mackinnon. Intended for second- and third-degree axonotmetic injuries and severe compression, to augment partial recovery or to 'babysit' the intrinsic motor end plates until native axons regenerate; not a replacement for repair of a complete transection.

Related terms

• Procedure

  Nerve transfer

  Coaptation of an expendable donor nerve or fascicle to the distal stump of an injured nerve close to its target, converting a proximal injury into a distal one with a single tension-free repair and no graft. Used for brachial plexus and high nerve injuries and for delayed presentations within the motor reinnervation window; the Oberlin and anterior interosseous-to-ulnar transfers are the classic examples.

• Anatomy

  Motor end plate

  The neuromuscular junction at which a motor axon terminal meets the muscle fibre. After denervation the end plate can maintain its integrity for up to about a year, but progressive muscle fibrosis makes functional reinnervation unlikely beyond 12–18 months — the window that drives early repair and nerve transfer.

Articles mentioning this term

1. FESSH preparation · 26 September 2026

   Peripheral nerve injury and repair

   Peripheral nerve injury for FESSH candidates: degeneration, Seddon and Sunderland grades, electrodiagnosis, timing, grafts, conduits and nerve transfers.

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