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Boy Likely to Regain Use of Restored Arm

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A Panorama City boy whose arm was severed in a July 2 car accident is likely to regain full use of the limb, a surgeon said Monday.

“The one thing on his side is he’s young,” said Dr. Neil Jones, the chief hand surgeon at UCLA Medical Center in Westwood. “Young children usually get far better results from repairing nerves and muscles than adults do.”

Anthony Tirado, 8, was injured when the dangling end of a rope coiled around his shoulder became ensnared in the rear wheel of the car he was riding in. When his mother drove away, the rope tightened, cutting off his arm.

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The amputation was “fairly sharp,” with little damage to the surrounding area, Jones said. The clean cut made it easier for a team of three surgeons to repair three nerves in Anthony’s arm.

Jones said the boy, who may leave the hospital by the end of the week, has at least an 80% chance of making a full recovery. Anthony’s parents have begun manipulating their son’s fingers to keep them supple, and doctors expect that he will regain his own ability to move the arm in three to six months.

In about a year, Jones said, Anthony will probably be able to feel sensation in his fingers again.

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