title: Neurosurgical correction of upper brachial plexus birth injuries.
abstract: The authors review the cases of 116 infants treated consecutively for birth-related brachial plexus injuries. Twenty-eight infants with upper brachial plexus lesions who showed no neurological improvement by 4 months of age were selected for early surgical reconstruction (at a mean age of 5 months). Neurological improvement of the affected arm was observed in more than 90% (p < 0.05) of the children examined longer than 9 months after brachial plexus reconstruction. A conservatively managed control subgroup of 44 children, first examined at less than 3 months of age, demonstrated neurological improvement by 4 months of age and continued to show improvement at 1 year of age. Early surgical reconstruction is recommended for infants with birth-related upper brachial plexus injury who show no neurological improvement by the age of 4 months.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Laurent
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shenaq
authors.forename: J T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Parke
authors.forename: I S
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Solis
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kowalik
mesh_terms: D001720:Birth Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery* / Q000628:therapy; D001917:Brachial Plexus / Q000293:injuries* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000503:physiopathology; D013126:Spinal Nerve Roots / Q000503:physiopathology; D016896:Treatment Outcome