Study Finds Marijuana Use Does Not Affect Strength Recovery After Nerve Transfer Surgery
- Marijuana use was not associated with worse functional strength outcomes in patients undergoing radial-to-axillary or Oberlin nerve transfer surgeries for peripheral nerve injuries.
- The retrospective study reviewed 49 adults and 67 surgeries from 2014 to 2023, tracking strength scores up to 24 months postoperatively without finding significant differences linked to marijuana use.
- Factors such as younger age and shorter interval between injury and surgery were significantly associated with better strength recovery, unlike marijuana consumption.
- The study’s limitations include its retrospective design, small sample size, and single-institution setting, indicating a need for larger studies to confirm these findings across broader populations.
Marijuana use was not associated with worse strength outcomes among patients undergoing nerve transfer surgery, according to a study published this week in Neurosurgery Practice.
The retrospective cohort study examined patients undergoing procedures designed to restore movement following peripheral nerve injuries. Researchers noted that marijuana is often used by patients with these injuries for pain management, but its potential impact on nerve transfer surgery outcomes had not previously been explored.
Researchers reviewed records from 49 adult patients who underwent 67 surgeries at a single institution between 2014 and 2023. The procedures included radial-to-axillary nerve transfers and ulnar fascicle-to-biceps fascicle transfers, also known as Oberlin transfers.
The patients had an average age of 43.3 years, and 42 of the 49 were male. Researchers tracked Medical Research Council strength scores from before surgery through as long as 24 months afterward.
No significant differences were found between marijuana use and the achievement of functional strength at six, 12, 18 or 24 months following surgery.
The lack of an association remained when researchers controlled for the type of nerve transfer performed.
“In patients undergoing radial-to-axillary nerve transfer or Oberlin nerve transfer surgery, marijuana use did not influence functional strength outcomes,” the researchers concluded.
Age and how quickly patients underwent surgery following their injury appeared to matter more.
Patients who showed substantial improvement between six and 24 months, as well as between their preoperative evaluation and 24-month follow-up, were significantly younger than those who did not improve.
Patients who achieved functional strength by 24 months also underwent surgery considerably sooner after their injury. The average interval was 0.7 years among those who achieved functional strength, compared with 1.7 years among those who did not.
Researchers concluded that improvement in functional strength was associated with younger age and a shorter period between injury and surgery, while marijuana use was not associated with functional strength outcomes.
The study was conducted by researchers affiliated primarily with Michigan Medicine and the University of Michigan’s Brachial Plexus Program. Because the analysis was retrospective, involved 49 patients and was conducted at a single institution, larger studies would be needed to determine whether the findings extend to broader populations and other types of nerve surgery.