A comparative study of ECRL (Brand Procedure) and FDS (Stiles–Bunnel) motor tendon transfer in the ulnar claw of hand was carried out. Correction of clawing of fingers was done in 60 ulnar claw hands using transfer of motor units ECRL and FDS. The Z deformity was corrected by 1∕2 FPL to EPL transfer. 12 cases were lost to follow up over the course of 5 years, so 48 cases were followed for up to 2 years, for various activities of daily life and routine work.

Both the transfers gave equivalent results. No morbid deformity was seen in ECRL transfer except the scar on the donor thigh. FDS transfer is the best reconstructive tendon transfer procedure for correction of ulnar claw hand in manual labourers. For white-collar workers, ECRL transfer should be the choice.

For evaluation of facial muscle integrity, 19 healthy subjects and 71 patients diagnosed with leprosy and under treatment in a National leprosy reference center were recruited. The muscles investigated, through surface electromyography, were the frontalis, orbicularis oculi, zygomaticus, masseter, and orbicularis oris. The evaluated features were Root Mean Square (RMS) and Mean frequency (Fmean). The facial muscles were analyzed jointly and separately for each leprosy clinical form and healthy individuals.

Regarding the Fmean, there was a difference noted between the values of healthy subjects and patients of all clinical forms, except for the LL form (p = 0.986). The highest frequency values were seen in TT and BL forms, which did not present a significant difference between each other (p = 0.757). Asymmetry of the facial muscles was detected in TT (RMS) and TT, BB, and LL forms from the Fmean. RMS and Fmean indicated motor neurogenic impairment in facial muscles of all leprosy patients, except the LL form.

Surface electromyography is shown to be an auxiliary tool for the diagnosis of facial motor disorders imperceptible to clinical examination, helping to prevent impairments, which is fundamental for the social inclusion of leprosy patients.

This was a retrospective analysis of the clinical records of all the leprosy patients enrolled in the Leprosy Clinic, during the years 1999–2019. The patient records fulfilling the diagnostic criteria of PNL were considered for analysis.

A total of 1225 patients registered leprosy cases, out of which 41 (3.3%) patients were diagnosed with PNL. Mean age was 31 years and 80% patients were male. Multiple nerves were affected in 25 (61%) patients and one nerve was found to be affected in only 16 (39%) patients. Grade 2 deformities were seen in 26 (63%) patients. All patients were treated with multi-drug therapy - 25 patients received the multibacillary regimen and 16 received the paucibacillary regimen; 27 (66%) patients completed the treatment as prescribed.

Leprosy is the most common treatable cause of peripheral neuropathy. Therefore, early detection of leprosy neuropathy is important for preventing deformities and disabilities. It may be advisable to treat all PNL cases with the multibacillary multidrug therapy in view of higher rate of deformities.