Two Cases of Traumatic Brachial Plexus Injury With Complete Spinal Cord Injury

Hand : Official Journal of the American Association for Hand Surgery
Aaron W PaulPeter C Rhee

Abstract

Traumatic brachial plexus injury (BPI) in patients with complete spinal cord injury (SCI) such as paraplegia or tetraplegia is a very rare and debilitating combined injury that can occur in high-energy traumas. Management of a BPI should be aimed at regaining strength for self-transfers and activities of daily living to restore independence. However, brachial plexus reconstruction (BPR) in this unique patient population requires considerable planning due to the combined elements of upper and lower motor neuron injuries. We present 2 cases of traumatic complete SCI with concomitant BPI with mean follow-up of 42 months after BPR. The first patient had a left C5-7 BPI with a T2 complete SCI. The second patient sustained a left C5-8 BPI with complete SCI at C8. The first patient underwent BPR including free functioning muscle, intra- and extraplexal nerve transfers, and tendon transfers resulting in active elbow flexion and active elbow, finger, and thumb extension, but no recovery of shoulder function. While the second patient underwent extra-plexal nerve transfer to restore elbow flexion yet did not recover any function in the left upper extreimty. Because extensive upper and lower motor neuron injuries are present in these combi...Continue Reading

References

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Sep 30, 2017·The Surgical Clinics of North America·Matthew J Eckert, Matthew J Martin

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Citations

Jul 11, 2020·JBJS Reviews·Sean Robert Cantwell, Peter Charles Rhee

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