Shoulder muscle atrophy and its relation to strength loss in obstetrical brachial plexus palsy

Treatment/prevention of shoulder muscle strength imbalances are major therapeutic goals for children with obstetrical brachial plexus palsy. The study aims were to characterize muscle atrophy in children/adolescents with unilateral obstetrical brachial plexus palsy, to quantify the agonist-antagonist muscle volume balance and the association between muscle volume and strength.

Eight boys and four girls (age=12.1, standard deviation=3.3) participated in this case-control study. Three-dimensional magnetic resonance images of both shoulders were acquired. The unimpaired shoulder served as a reference. Volumes of deltoid, pectoralis major, supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres major, subscapularis were calculated based on 3D models, derived through image segmentation. Maximal isometric torques were collected in six directions.

All the major muscles studied were significantly atrophied. The teres major demonstrated the biggest difference in atrophy between groups (51 percentage points), the pectoralis major was the least atrophied (23 percentage points). The muscle volume distribution was significantly different between shoulders. Muscle volume could predict maximal voluntary isometric torques, but the regression coefficients were weaker on the impaired side (72% to 91% of the strength could be predicted in the uninvolved side and 24% to 90% in the involved side and external rotation strength could not be predicted).

This study demonstrates muscle atrophy varied across all the main shoulder muscles of the glenohumeral joint, leading to significant muscle volume imbalances. The weaker coefficients of determination on the impaired side suggest that other variables may contribute to the loss of strength in addition to atrophy.