Ipsilateral S2 nerve root transfer to pudendal nerve for restoration of external anal and urethral sphincter function: an anatomical study

Patients suffer bilateral sacral plexus injuries experience severe problems with incontinence. We performed a cadaveric study to explore the anatomical feasibility of transferring ipsilateral S2 nerve root combined with a sural nerve graft to pudendal nerve for restoration of external anal and urethral sphincter function. The sacral nerve roots and pudendal nerve roots on the right side were exposed in 10 cadavers. The length from S2 nerve root origin to pudendal nerve at inferior border of piriformis was measured. The sural nerve was used as nerve graft. The diameters and nerve cross-sectional areas of S2 nerve root, pudendal nerve and sural nerve were measured and calculated, so as the number of myelinated axons of three nerves on each cadaver specimen. The length from S2 nerve root to pudendal nerve was 10.69 +/- 1.67 cm. The cross-sectional areas of the three nerves were 8.57 +/- 3.03 mm(2) for S2, 7.02 +/- 2.04 mm(2) for pudendal nerve and 6.33 +/- 1.61 mm(2) for sural nerve. The pudendal nerve contained approximately the same number of axons (5708 +/- 1143) as the sural nerve (5607 +/- 1305), which was a bit less than that of the S2 nerve root (6005 +/- 1479). The S2 nerve root in combination with a sural nerve graft is surgically feasible to transfer to the pudendal nerve for return of external urethral and anal sphincter function, and may be suitable for clinical application in patients suffering from incontinence following sacral plexus injuries.