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Brachial plexus root avulsions

J K Terzis1, M D Vekris, P N Soucacos

  • 1Department of Surgery, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Microsurgical Research Center, P.O. Box 1980, 700 Olney Road, Norfolk, Virginia 23501, USA. microctr@borg.evms.edu

World Journal of Surgery
|September 27, 2001
PubMed

Insights

Brachial plexus injuries, often from trauma or difficult births, can cause severe disability. Early microsurgical reconstruction offers significant functional recovery, making amputation a last resort.

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Microsurgery
  • Traumatology

Background:

  • Brachial plexus injuries are common in adults (trauma) and infants (obstetrical).
  • Root avulsions are severe, leading to permanent disability and socioeconomic impact.

Observation:

  • Most adult injuries and some infant injuries involve brachial plexus root avulsions.
  • These injuries necessitate aggressive management due to their serious ramifications.

Findings:

  • Early, aggressive microsurgical reconstruction is the modern standard for root avulsions.
  • Techniques include neurotizations, vascularized nerve grafts, and free vascularized muscles.

Implications:

  • Multistage microsurgical techniques can restore significant neurologic function, especially in young patients.
  • Amputation is considered only after microsurgical interventions have failed.

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