Management of combat-sustained radial nerve injury during World War I: The case of Louis-Ferdinand Céline

Abstract

The radial nerve conveys sensory and motor information to and from the upper limb, and radial nerve injury can induce functional disability, as demonstrated by the case of the renowned French writer Louis-Ferdinand Céline (1894-1961), who sustained a gunshot injury to his right arm in October 1914. Radial nerve injuries treated during World War I inspired the publication of several medical handbooks and medical theses, such as that of the military surgeon Major Robert Bretton (1889-1956). The aim of this paper is, via Céline's injury, to explore the management of radial nerve injury during and since World War I. It is important to consider the historical perspective in order to improve radial nerve injury management so as to adapt to modern warfare.

Keywords: Louis Ferdinand Céline; Lésion du nerf radial; Première Guerre Mondiale; Radial nerve injury; Traumatisme balistique des nerfs; Wartime upper extremity injuries; World War I.