Jeger, Jonathan

Background: Nerve transfers have been heralded as a “quantum leap” in peripheral nerve surgery, fundamentally altering the reconstructive paradigm over the past 2 decades. This study analyzed national trends in adult traumatic brachial plexus injury (BPI) management, tracking specialty-specific adoption of nerve transfers and comparing 30-day postoperative outcomes with traditional reconstruction. Methods: Data were extracted from the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (2006 to 2022). Adult patients (18 years or older) with a primary BPI diagnosis, who underwent nerve reconstruction, were included. Cases were categorized by the presence of a nerve transfer using CPT code 64905. Analyses included descriptive statistics, standardized mean differences, and multivariable logistic regression. Results: Among 544 BPI patients, 80 underwent reconstruction involving a nerve transfer. Plastic surgeons performed 60% of nerve transfers despite accounting for only 33.5% of all BPI reconstructions. Neurosurgeons had the lowest overall nerve transfer utilization but increased to a rate matching orthopedic surgeons in the final 4 years. Nerve transfers were associated with lower 30-day complication rates than traditional reconstruction (2.5% vs. 11%, P =0.034), despite being performed on patients with higher preoperative morbidity risk. In multivariable analysis, orthopedic and neurosurgeons remained significantly less likely than plastic surgeons to perform nerve transfers (OR: 0.26, P <0.001; OR: 0.18, P <0.001, respectively). Conclusion: Nerve transfer use in BPI reconstruction has increased steadily, with a recent increase among neurosurgeons. Despite being used in higher-risk patients, nerve transfers were associated with significantly lower short-term complication rates. These findings support continued adoption of nerve transfers and highlight their favorable safety profile.

Background In 2019, the “Facts on Hand” direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) campaign, featuring former NFL quarterback John Elway, was launched to raise awareness of Dupuytren's contracture (DC) and its nonsurgical treatment options. Although DTCA has been shown to influence health care behavior in other specialties, its impact on treatment patterns for hand conditions remains unclear. Methods Google Trends was used to examine the influence of direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) on Internet-based information-seeking behavior related to DC. Changes in the proportion of surgical and nonsurgical management of DC were evaluated using 2016–2021 Medicare provider billing claims. Results Search interest in DC peaked during the campaign period, with breakout-level increases (>5000%) for terms such as “John Elway,” “needle aponeurotomy,” and “hand surgeon near me.” Medicare data revealed regionally significant increases in CCH utilization, particularly in the Midwest (+10%) and Northeast (+5%), with corresponding declines in fasciectomy. Regional overlap between increased search activity and shifts in treatment patterns suggests a geographically reinforced campaign effect. Conclusion The “Facts on Hand” campaign was associated with increased public interest in DC and coincided with regionally specific shifts in treatment utilization. Although the campaign emphasized a nonsurgical option, breakout searches for terms such as “hand surgeon near me” and “Dupuytren's surgery” suggest that treatment-specific advertising may have encouraged broader engagement with treatment overall. These findings highlight the potential for DTCA to not only raise awareness of the condition itself but also prompt patients to seek specialist care.