Abstract
Purpose: Explosive injuries to the pediatric brachial plexus are exceedingly rare and as such are poorly characterized in the medical literature. Methods: Herein, we describe an 8-year-old who was struck in the neck by a piece of shrapnel and suffered multiple vascular injuries in addition to a suspected avulsion of the cervical 5 and 6 ventral rami. The patient had a complete upper brachial plexus palsy and failed to demonstrate any clinical improvement at 6-months follow-up. He was taken to the operating from for a partial ulnar to musculocutaneous nerve neurotization as well as a partial radial to axillary nerve neurotization. Results: The patient's motor exam improved from a Medical Research Council scale 1 to 4+ for biceps brachii and 0 to 4 deltoid function with greater than 90 of shoulder abduction. Conclusions: This outcome supports complex neurotization techniques as viable treatment options for persistent motor deficits following an upper brachial plexus injury in older, non-infant age, children.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 2105-2109 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | Child's Nervous System |
Volume | 29 |
Issue number | 11 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Nov 1 2013 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Pediatrics, Perinatology, and Child Health
- Clinical Neurology