Axillary nerve injury in young adults-An overlooked diagnosis? Early results of nerve reconstruction and nerve transfers.Dahlin, Lars; Cöster, Marcus; Björkman, Anders; Backman, Clas Link to publication Citation for published version (APA): Dahlin, L., Cöster, M., Björkman, A., & Backman, C. (2012). Axillary nerve injury in young adults-An overlooked diagnosis? Early results of nerve reconstruction and nerve transfers. Journal of Plastic Surgery and Hand Surgery, 46(3-4), 257-261. DOI: 10.3109/2000656X.2012.698415 General rights Copyright and moral rights for the publications made accessible in the public portal are retained by the authors and/or other copyright owners and it is a condition of accessing publications that users recognise and abide by the legal requirements associated with these rights.• Users may download and print one copy of any publication from the public portal for the purpose of private study or research.• You may not further distribute the material or use it for any profit-making activity or commercial gain • You may freely distribute the URL identifying the publication in the public portal Ten male young adults (median age at trauma 13 years, range 9-24) with an axillary nerve injury were diagnosed by examination of shoulder function and electromyography (EMG).The patients had either a nerve reconstruction procedure or were treated conservatively and their recovery was monitored.The axillary nerve was explored and reconstructed at a median of eight months (range 1-22 months) after trauma in 8/10 patients. Two patients were treated non-operatively. In 4/8 cases, a reconstruction with sural nerve graft was performed and in 1/8 case only exploration of the nerve was made (minor neuroma). In 3/8 cases a radial nerve branch transfer to the axillary nerve was chosen as the procedure. The shoulder was mobilized after three weeks with physiotherapy and the patients were monitored regularly. Functional recovery was observed in 9/10 cases (median follow up 11 months, range 7-64) with EMG signs of reinnervation in 7patients.Axillary nerve function should not be overlooked in young patients with a minor shoulder trauma. Nerve reconstruction can successfully recreate function.