IntroductionShoulder instability and lack of shoulder mobility are common and exhausting problems in adult patients with traumatic brachial plexus injuries. Even with functioning elbow, wrist, and fingers, upper limb function is significantly hampered by deficient shoulder function. Primary nerve reconstruction remains the "gold standard" in brachial plexus management. If surgery is early and successful, adequate reinnervation of the deltoid, teres minor, supraspinatus and infraspinatus muscles can be achieved, as well as glenohumeral joint stability [1,2].However, secondary shoulder reconstruction is needed in clinical scenarios, such as neglected cases (>1 year without any attempt for reconstruction) and cases of complete or partial failure of recovery of both the deltoid and rotator cuff after primary reconstruction.Many options are available for secondary shoulder reconstruction. Trapezius transfer is one of those important options, and our goal is to review the indications, techniques, and outcomes of trapezius transfer and compare it with the alternative options. First, we should revisit the basic concepts of shoulder kinematics and tendon transfer.
Kinematics of the ShoulderThe shoulder range of motion is achieved by the scapulohumeral rhythm, which is the coordinated motion of the glenohumeral, scapulothoracic, acromioclavicular and sternoclavicular joints. For shoulder abduction, an approximately 2:1 ratio of glenohumeral to scapulothoracic motion is required [3][4][5].The rotator cuff muscles are primarily dynamic stabilizers for the shoulder during abduction, forward flexion, and extension that act by resisting the relative upward shearing moment at the glenohumeral joint by the deltoid in early abduction and through a force couple of the subscapularis anteriorly and the infraspinatus posteriorly [6].The importance of the force couple function generated by the glenohumeral stabilizers is indicated by the pseudoparalysis of the shoulder in massive rotator cuff tear. This pseudoparalysis extends below the humeral head equator despite normal brachial plexus and deltoid function; however, due to the force couple loss, the humeral head cannot be contained. An important study done by Gerber et al. demonstrated 45% loss of abduction strength and 70% loss of external rotation strength after nerve blocks of the infraspinatus. Paralysis of both the supraspinatus and infraspinatus led to a decrease in abduction strength of 75% and a decrease in external rotation strength of 80%. The teres minor plays a role in external rotation strength at any angle of shoulder abduction less than 20% [7].These relations explain why isolated trapezius transfer alone leads to an obligatory proximal migration of the humeral head, narrowing the space between the humeral head and acromion, which causes mechanical impingement and decreases the trapezius lever arm, leading to ineffective shoulder abduction and flexion [8].The deltoid and rotator cuff muscles have relatively low excursion but generate high tension. The upper trapezius ...