Early post-operative results after repair of traumatic brachial plexus palsy

Treatment options for traumatic brachial plexus injuries include nerve grafting, or neurotization. The type of lesion and the reconstructive procedures affect functional results and postoperative pain relief.

A total number of twenty five patients suffering from post-traumatic brachial plexus injury were included in the study. The patients underwent exploration and primary repair of the affected plexus, based on case by case policy.

Spinal accessory nerve transfer to suprascapular nerve procedure regained 78.95% of functional muscle power, 10.50% of non functional muscle power and only 10.5 % of non innervated muscle. The Oberlin procedure regained 83.33% with elbow flexion muscle power, 16.67% with non functional muscle power. Intercostal nerve transfer to musculocutaneous nerve regained 62.5% with functional muscle power, 25% with non functional muscle power and only 12.5 % with non innervated muscle. The shoulder, elbow and wrist extension functions were significantly improved early post-operatively. In addition, the post-operative improvement of shoulder, elbow and wrist extension functions had significant negative correlations with the pre-operative elapsed time, and accompanied by a significant positive correlation with post-operative follow up period.

Early intervention for traumatic brachial plexus palsy is recommended to get good results with pain relief.