A public database on traumatic brachial plexus injury: data collection and sharing

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Orthopedics
• Public Health

Background:

• Adult traumatic brachial plexus injury (TBPI) predominantly affects young males, often from motorcycle accidents.
• TBPI can result in significant motor and sensory deficits in the upper limb.
• There is a need for structured data to advance research and treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish a public digital database for adult traumatic brachial plexus injury (TBPI).
• To facilitate data sharing and reuse for research purposes.
• To identify functional markers and develop new investigative tools for TBPI.

Main Methods:

• Utilized detailed electronic questionnaires for epidemiological, physical, and clinical data collection.
• Employed the Neuroscience Experiments System (NES) for data storage and management.
• Collected data from 170 Brazilian adults with TBPI between 2014 and 2020, using unified assessment tools for admission, follow-up, and surgical evaluation.

Main Results:

• Successfully created a comprehensive database of adult TBPI cases.
• Collected data encompasses epidemiological, clinical, and surgical information.
• The database includes data from initial evaluations, follow-up visits, and surgical procedures.

Conclusions:

• The established TBPI database supports data sharing and reuse.
• This resource can aid in identifying functional recovery markers.
• It fosters the development of novel tools to understand TBPI mechanisms and improve patient outcomes.