Related Experiment Videos
Isolated suprascapular nerve palsy: a review of nine cases
1Division of Neurology, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Background:
In nine patients, suprascapular nerve palsy followed serious accidents associated with fractures of the cervical vertebrae, clavicle or scapula and after weight lifting, wrestling and a fall on the elbow or shoulder.
Method:
All patients were examined as to muscle wasting, weakness and shoulder fixation. EMG examination was done in all cases and six patients underwent surgical exploration.
Results:
The palsy was incomplete on clinical and EMG examination in all patients. On exploration, scarring, entrapment, tethering or kinking at the suprascapular notch was four and two had post-traumatic neuromas.
Conclusions:
In contrast to published studies, none of our patients presented with shoulder pain, a spontaneous onset nor with involvement limited to the infraspinatus muscle. The differential diagnosis should include C5 root lesion, brachial plexus neuritis, frozen shoulder and tear of the rotator cuff.