Electrodiagnosis in traumatic brachial plexus injury

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Clinical Electrophysiology

Background:

• Brachial plexopathies present diagnostic challenges due to complex anatomy and potential multifocal lesions.
• Accurate assessment is crucial for effective treatment planning and prognosis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the utility of electrodiagnosis (EDX) in evaluating brachial plexopathies.
• To detail the applications of EDX in localization, severity quantification, and pathophysiology identification.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing electrodiagnostic tests including electroneuromyography.
• Comparing findings with the unaffected limb for baseline.
• Correlating electrodiagnostic results with clinical presentation and injury type.

Main Results:

• EDX accurately localizes lesions, determines extent, and quantifies severity.
• It identifies pathophysiology and assesses muscles not easily evaluated clinically.
• EDX detects early re-innervation post-operatively and aids intra-operative decision-making.

Conclusions:

• Electrodiagnosis is indispensable for comprehensive brachial plexopathy assessment.
• Its application extends from diagnosis and severity grading to monitoring treatment response and surgical guidance.