[Forensic analysis on injuries involving main branches of brachial plexus in 66 cases].
OBJECTIVE
To study injuries involving brachial plexus and its branches.


METHODS
66 cases collected from 2003 to 2005 in our department were analyzed statistically.


RESULTS
94% of injuries involved young adult males; 94% were blunt force injuries; 34% involved both nerve and bone mainly involving ulnar nerve and ulnar bone (50%); 40% of the injured nerves received electromyogram and 15 nerves were diagnosed with injuries clinically.


CONCLUSIONS
Forensic determination on severity of brachial plexus injuries mainly depends on movement recovery of limb. The best time for forensic appraisal is 20 d post operation+L (length of nerve severed distally)/R (growth rate)+90 d.
Lu
Hong
H
Shanghai Criminal Science and Technology Institute, Shanghai 200083, China.
Hu
Bin-wei
BW
Huang
Li-na
LN
Li
Qi
Q
D000328:Adult; D001917:Brachial Plexus / Q000293:injuries* / Q000503:physiopathology; D020516:Brachial Plexus Neuropathies / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004576:Electromyography; D005260:Female; D005543:Forearm Injuries / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005554:Forensic Medicine; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008475:Median Nerve / Q000293:injuries; D015599:Trauma Severity Indices; D014459:Ulnar Nerve / Q000293:injuries; D055815:Young Adult