J Korean Orthop Assoc.  1988 Aug;23(4):1165-1173. 10.4055/jkoa.1988.23.4.1165.

Surgical Treatment of Brachial Plexus Injury

• Yoo MC
• Chung DW
• Han JS
• Lee KY

• KMID: 2445172
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4055/jkoa.1988.23.4.1165

Abstract

The author has reviewed 62 patients with brachial plexus injuries who treated at Department of orthopaedic Surgery, Kyung Hee University Hospital during the period from Dec. 1978 to June 1985. Among these, conservative treatment was performed in 8 patients, 64 cases of 54 patients were treated by 4 types of operation, that is, exploration with neurolysis, neurorraphy, nerve graft and neurotization for restoration of elbow flexion, wrist, finger flexion and shoulder abduction. The patients were followed up more than one year to five years and eight months, average being two yesrs and six months. The whole arm type injury was the most common. The trunk level was the most common. The prognosis of whole arm type was the most severe. And the prognosis of supraclavicular lesion was worse than that of infraclavicular. There were two types of treatment, conservative treatment in 8 patients, operative treatment in 54 patients. By comparing results according to methods of treatment, neurotization with intercostal nerve were useful in avulsion cases of unsatisfactory results following neurolysis, neurorraphy and nerve graft. The operation time of the first three months to six months after injury gave the best chance of success. The result of conservative treatment in all 8 patients was poor.

Keyword

Neurolysis; Nerve graft; Neurorraphy; Neurotization; Brachial Plexus Injury

MeSH Terms

Arm
Brachial Plexus*
Elbow
Fingers
Humans
Intercostal Nerves
Nerve Transfer
Prognosis
Shoulder
Transplants
Wrist