Electrical Stimulation to Accelerate Nerve Regeneration

Brief electrical stimulation (BES) directly to nerves has shown promise as a way to speed up nerve recovery after injury. This study is a multicenter prospective clinical trial that will assess the effects of BES on nerve regeneration in patients who undergo nerve decompression surgery of the ulnar nerve at the elbow, nerve repair surgery, or nerve transfer surgery. Enrolled patients will be randomized to either standard surgical treatment or standard surgical treatment plus BES. We will follow each enrolled patient for 1 year after the surgery, and various measurements will be obtained both prior to surgery and at various time points after surgery to determine whether BES is effective in speeding up nerve recovery.