What happened?
A 28-year-old man presented for rehabilitation two months after a traumatic left median nerve laceration with associated flexor and extensor tendon injuries that had undergone surgical repair. He had impaired grip, finger dexterity and sensation despite independence in basic daily activities.
Clinical findings
- Nerve conduction testing showed severe left median-nerve abnormalities, including absent sensory nerve action potential.
- Initial grip strength was 7.5 kg on the affected side compared with 45 kg on the other side; pinch strength and finger movement were also reduced.
- Two-point discrimination and monofilament testing showed marked sensory impairment in the median-nerve distribution.
Rehabilitation described in the report
- The outpatient programme used two-hour sessions five times per week and combined sensory and motor rehabilitation.
- The report described transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, peripheral magnetic stimulation, exercise therapy, sensory re-education, finger dexterity tasks and strengthening.
- From day 84, the patient also performed a home programme including aerobic exercise, dexterity training and finger-muscle strengthening.
Reported outcomes
- The authors reported substantial improvements in grip and pinch strength, fine-motor control and sensory discrimination, with improved functional hand use.
- No synkinesis, dysesthesia or adverse effects were reported during the described recovery course.
Clinical lessons to consider
- After nerve repair, assess motor function, sensory discrimination and meaningful hand tasks rather than relying on strength alone.
- Combine protected tendon rehabilitation with nerve-related sensory and motor retraining according to surgical status.
- The intensive protocol is a single-case description, not a universal dosage recommendation.
Limitations — what this case cannot tell us
- A single case with a complex combined nerve-and-tendon injury cannot isolate the contribution of each treatment component.
- The authors note that evidence for multi-component stimulation approaches in humans remains limited.
Original source
Naoki Mori, Chiharu Endo, Kento Ito, Risako Katada, Ikumi Takagi, Hisae Onaka. “Efficacy of Multi-component Therapy for Peripheral Nerve Injury: A Case Report.” Progress in Rehabilitation Medicine, 2025. DOI: 10.2490/prm.20250017
View the original publicationThis page is an independently written educational summary, not a reproduction of the full paper. Check the original article for complete methods, outcome tables, references and licensing.