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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-18057454
The nerves in the hand were not damaged, they had just lost the signal from the brain which told them what to do.
However, the brain could still give instructions to the upper arm.
The operation, described in the Journal of Neurosurgery, rewired the nerves in the arm to build a new route from brain to hand. One of the nerves leading to a muscle was taken and attached to the anterior interosseous nerve, which goes to the hand.
[...]
She said it was a "really novel" and "refreshingly resourceful" way of restoring movement. However, she warned this would never restore normal function. "That isn't going to happen," she said.