Brachial Plexus Injury

The brachial plexus is a system of nerves that leads signals from the spinal rope, which is housed in the spinal waterway of the vertebral segment (or spine), to the shoulder, arm and hand. These nerves start in the fifth, 6th, seventh and eighth cervical (C5–C8), and first thoracic (T1) spinal nerves, and innervate the muscles and skin of the mid-section, shoulder, arm and hand. Brachial plexus wounds, or injuries, are brought on by harm to those nerve.

Signs and symptoms may include a limp or paralyzed arm, lack of muscle control in the arm, hand, or wrist, and lack of feeling or sensation in the arm or hand. Although several mechanisms account for brachial plexus injuries, the most common is nerve compression or stretch. Infants, in particular, may suffer brachial plexus injuries during delivery and these present with typical patterns of weakness, depending on which portion of the brachial plexus is involved. The most severe form of injury is nerve root avulsion, which results in complete weakness in corresponding muscles. This usually accompanies high-velocity impacts that occurs during motor vehicle or bicycle accidents.

In Finland, Two-thirds (63%) of the patients were satisfied with the functional outcome, although one-third of all patients needed help in activities of daily living. One-third of the patients, including all nine with a clavicular nonunion from the surgical approach, experienced pain in the affected limb. All except four patients used the hand of the unaffected limb as the dominant hand. Shoulder function was moderate, with a mean Mallet score of 3.0. Both elbow and hand function were good, with a mean score on the Gilbert elbow scale of 3 and a mean Raimondi hand score of 4. Incongruence of the glenohumeral joint was noted in sixteen (16%) of the ninety-nine patients in whom it was assessed, and incongruence of the radiohumeral joint was noted in twenty-one (21%). The extent of the brachial plexus injury was found to be strongly associated with the final shoulder, elbow, and hand function in a multivariate analysis.