Neurosurgical correction of upper brachial plexus birth injuries.
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.
Laurent
J P
JP
Department of Neurosurgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.
Lee
R
R
Shenaq
S
S
Parke
J T
JT
Solis
I S
IS
Kowalik
L
L
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