title: Traumatic brachial plexus palsy in children.
abstract: We have reviewed 25 children with traumatic brachial plexus palsy during the last fifteen years. Motor vehicle injury was responsible for 17 of these cases. Associated lesions were noted in 68%. All lesions were supraclavicular, including C5-C6 in 5 cases, C5-C7 in 5 cases and C5-T1 in 13 cases. Precise data was not available for two patients. Root avulsion was noted in 63% of our patients. Neurotization was performed in eight of the sixteen patients who had surgical repair. Tendon transfers were performed in 9 patients, 5 of which have had a previous surgical plexus repair. Elbow flexion was restored in all but one, and protective sensation of the hand in 40% of the patients undergoing plexus surgery. We conclude that surgery should be performed on children who have no evidence of nerve regeneration three months following traumatic brachial plexus palsy.
authors.affiliation: Institut Français de la main, Paris.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dumontier
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gilbert
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001917:Brachial Plexus / Q000293:injuries* / Q000601:surgery; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004551:Elbow Joint / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009068:Movement; D016067:Nerve Transfer; D010243:Paralysis / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013709:Tendon Transfer