I don't know if this is routine in .18 but a quick search of the forum and wiki didn't turn up much. My adventurer has a lone swordsman as his companion, who was badly injured in an elf attack. She had both left and right hands pierced by arrows and consequently dropped her shield and sword, then passed out from pain. I stood over her body and kept the elves at bay until she woke up and we managed an escape. Although there was no motor nerve damage, companions never pick anything up, so I was pretty sure she was going to have to learn to wrestle, and maybe grapple a knife if she was lucky. I even checked the top page of her inventory to be certain that she had dropped both items. However, on my next quest, to kill a troll, she stole the kill from me by slashing it with a bronze scimitar. Upon inspecting her inventory more closely I found that on the second page, she had a brand new sword and shield, as well as lots and lots of elf jewelry.
I am positive that this is the same companion, as I have said, she is the only follower I have so far, and her old silver scimitar has been replaced with bronze. I guess this must be a feature, just one that I have never encountered before (disarmed companions usually die). I went back to the castle after the elf attack, would this have been when she was re-armed? Thanks.