What is bilateral brachial plexus injury?

The brachial plexus is the network of nerves that sends signals from your spinal cord to your shoulder, arm and hand. A brachial plexus injury occurs when these nerves are stretched, compressed, or in the most serious cases, ripped apart or torn away from the spinal cord.

What does brachial plexus mean?

The brachial plexus is a network of nerves in the shoulder that carries movement and sensory signals from the spinal cord to the arms and hands. Brachial plexus injuries typically stem from trauma to the neck, and can cause pain, weakness and numbness in the arm and hand.

What is Preganglionic brachial plexus?

Definition: A preganglionic brachial plexus injury occurs when the spinal roots are avulsed directly from the spinal cord or the rootlets rupture proximal to the dorsal root ganglion. An injury distal to the dorsal root ganglion is called postganglionic (Fig. 34-1).

What does obstetrical brachial plexus palsy stand for?

The term birth-related brachial plexus palsy (BRBPP) refers to injury noted in the perinatal period to all or a portion of the brachial plexus.The term obstetrical brachial plexus palsy (OBPP) has also been used but has negative implications; accordingly, other terms, such as birth-related brachial plexus injury (BRBPI), are often preferred,

What is the schema of the brachial plexus?

Schema of the brachial plexus. BRBPP arises from an increase in the infant’s neck-shoulder angle, which results in a traction force to the brachial plexus. [ 14, 15] This force on the brachial plexus can cause varying degrees of nerve injury, ranging from neurapraxia to complete root avulsion.

When was paralysis of the lower plexus first described?

In 1872, Guillaume Duchenne coined the term obstetrical paralysis. [ 5] Erb described C5-C6 paralysis in 1874, [ 6] and in 1885, Klumpke described paralysis of the lower plexus. The first description of operative management for obstetrical brachial plexus lesions was reported in 1903. [ 7]

When does a baby have a brachial plexus injury?

At a median age of 16 weeks, 74% of infants undergoing surgical exploration of the brachial plexus had GHD on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). [ 19] BRBPI may result from a multitude of causes. Positioning may lead to an increase in the neck-shoulder angle, producing a stretch injury, rupture, or avulsion if forces exceed neural tensile strength.