Median Nerve Palsy after Shoulder Dislocation in a 10-year-old Girl: A Case Report

Traumatic glenohumeral dislocation is very rare in skeletally immature patients, and there are no reports in the literature describing the risk of associated nerve injuries. In the general population, the most commonly affected nerve is the axillary, but anatomical variations with a common origin between the musculocutaneous and median nerves exist that alter the respective positions and courses of these nerves and can make them more prone to injury during a glenohumeral dislocation.

A 10-year-old girl presented with incomplete median nerve palsy without any recuperation 8 months after an anterior glenohumeral dislocation. Surgical exploration was performed and revealed a common origin of the musculocutaneus and median nerve, with bifurcation just distal to the glenohumeral joint, making it susceptible to compression-elongation trauma during dislocation. A careful neurolysis was performed, and there was a complete recovery of median nerve function.

Glenohumeral dislocation associated with nerve injury is very rare in children. When a nerve injury occurs, one should be aware of possible anatomical variations of the infraclavicular plexus.