Question
It's been 8 years since my daughter's shoulder injury where she damaged her long thoracic nerve. The EMG at the time stated the nerve was dead. She has scapular winging with subluxion of the right shoulder. She also has Ehlers-Danlos type 3. Is there any successful nerve transplants of the thoracic nerve to allow the serratus muscle to fire properly & allow the shoulder to function again?

Answer
Dear Christine,

Unfortunately this is out of my area of expertise.  

Although I have never heard of a successful nerve transplant surgery, the advent of Stem cell Research may allow regrowth as an option with stem cell implantation.  The connective tissue disease that your daughter has will obviously complicate matters.  This is an issue that you would need to consult with physicians who are on the cutting edge of medical technology in the fields of neurosurgery, neurology as well as stem cell research to get the best information.

I wish I could be more help to you. Good Luck.

Respectfully,
Dr. J. Shawn Leatherman