The members of this group are hand and wrist surgeons with a special interest in the treatment of the spastic upper limb, both in children and adolescents as in adults. Spastic upper limb can have multiple causes, perinatal brain damage, trauma or acquired brain damage like post-stroke. There are multiple surgical options to improve the function and/or the position of the spastic upper limb. Surgery can be done on the level of the nerves, the muscles, tendons or joints. Because the patient groups are small, and the indications can be a challenge it is important that these patients are treated by specialists who have enough experience. 

In 2017 Caroline Leclercq organized the first symposium on the surgical treatment of the spastic upper limb in Paris. This symposium was such a success that it was followed by a symposium every other year: 2019 Venice, 2021 Webinar Amsterdam (due to Corona), 2022 Amsterdam and 2024 Rochester (USA).

During these symposia we have already created a community of specialist who now know each other and can reach out to each other for advice. By creating a specialty group within the FESSH we could broaden this network. It could be a platform to inform members of the FESSH about symposia or courses organized about the surgical treatment of the spastic upper limb.  Furthermore the webpage will be a good way to exchange ideas about ongoing research or new research plans.

Members of the FESSH could join the specialty group by sending an E-mail to the group leaders. (and this moment the group leaders will be Miryam Obdeijn and Nadine Sturbois-Nachef). Also if you have an interesting congress or course about the surgical treatment of spasticity that you would like to bring under the attention of this group please reach out to us via email: 

spasticity@fessh.com


Group leaders: Miryam Obdeijn and Nadine Stubois-Nachef

 

Miryam Obdeijn (Amsterdam, The Netherlands) trained as a Plastic Surgeon in the University hospital of Groningen in the north of the Netherlands. After finishing her training in 2005 she moved to a village near Amsterdam and started her work as a consultant Plastic Surgery in the Amsterdam Medical Center. In 2015 she finished her thesis on Education in Wrist Arthroscopy, in close cooperation with the EWAS (now IWAS) and Prof Liverneaux from Strasbourg. During the first 10 years she gradually specialized more in hand and wrist surgery. Trained by Simon Strackee (†). Also she took up the care for the spastic patients, trained by Mick Kreulen. Becoming more and more involved in the treatment of children and young adults with cerebral palsy she went to visit Caroline Leclercq in Paris and joined her on a mission in Colombia in 2019. Since 2015 she is director of the training program for plastic surgeons. In 2008 she passed her FESSH diploma. Currently her main practice is spastic upper limb and general hand and wrist surgery. She runs an out-patient clinic in the Amsterdam Academic Medical Center every other week together with the rehabilitation physician and the handtherapist where they see mostly children and adolescents with cerebral palsy. Besides her work in the University hospital she is a consultant in 3 rehabilitation centers around Amsterdam. She is member of the Dutch and the French Society for Surgery of the Hand.

Nadine Sturbois-Nachef (Paris, France), Member of the French Society for Orthopedic and Traumatologic Society (SOFCOT) and of the French Society for Surgery of the Hand (SFCM)Dr Nadine Sturbois-Nachef was born and raised in the Middle-East (mainly in Dubai, United Arab Emirates), then studied medicine in Montpellier, France. Former Chef de Clinique of the University of Lille, France, she specialized in hand surgery under the guidance of Pr. Christian Fontaine. She developed her skills in neuro-orthopaedics at Hopital de Garches (Dr Philippe Denormandie) and at the Institut de la Main (Dr Caroline Leclercq). She joined the Institut de la Main in Paris in 2021. She has a Master‘s Degree in Surgical Sciences – Neurosciences. She is the author of 25 scientific articles and book chapters, and has presented more than 20 oral presentations, as an invited guest, at National and International Society Meetings. Besides spasticity of the upper and lower limbs, her main field of interest is the peripheral nerve and brachial plexus surgery, and she is involved in teaching both nationally and internationally.

Grainne Colgan (Dublin, Ireland), Ms Grainne Colgan, is a Trauma & Orthopaedic Surgeon. Her special interest is Spasticity & Cerebral Palsy, Tetraplegia and complex paediatric hand reconstruction. She graduated from Trinity College, Dublin in 2000 and now works in Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Cappagh National Orthopaedic Hospital Dublin, National Rehabilitation Hospital, Dun Laoghaire and runs a National Adult and Paediatric Spasticity Service in the Central Remedial Clinic, Clontarf, Dublin, which receives surgeons from abroad for visitation. She completed a novel 1 year interface fellowship in hand and wrist surgery with both Orthopaedic and Plastic Surgeons, in Dublin 2017-18. She spent time in Texas Scottish Rite, Dallas as a visiting hand fellow, and was the Congenital Hand Surgery Fellow in Great Ormond Street Hospital, London 2018-2019. She also trained with Dr Caroline Le Clercq in Institute De La Main, Paris in 2019, 2021 & 2022. She passed the European Board of Hand Surgery Diploma exam in 2018, has two higher degrees by research theses (MCh, Trinity College, Ireland & MSc in Trauma & Orthopaedic Surgery, Warwick, UK) and numerous publications. She is a member of the Irish Hand Surgery Society, and the Assistant Director of Training for the Irish National Orthopaedic Higher Surgical Training Programme and teaches nationally and internationally.

Caroline Leclercq (Paris, France), Dr. Caroline Leclercq is a renowned hand surgeon from the Institut de la Main in Paris, France. She trained in hand surgery under Professors Raoul Tubiana and Alain Gilbert and further honed her skills during a fellowship in the United States. Dr. Leclercq specializes in treating upper limb paralysis, particularly tetraplegia and spasticity, and consults for nine neurological rehabilitation centers. A former President of the French Society for Surgery of the Hand and a member of the French “Académie de Chirurgie,” she has authored seven books, over 100 scientific articles, and presented at numerous international conferences.  Dr. Leclercq is deeply involved in post-graduate teaching worldwide and will be presenting on nerve procedures for managing upper limb spasticity.

 

Bibliography:

BibliographySpasticity-280325