title: Functional outcomes after treatment of traumatic brachial plexus injuries: clinical study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study is to evaluate functional outcome and quality of life using statistically validated tools.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participating patients were called and asked questions from the Short Form 36 (SF-36), the Disability of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) questionnaire, a pain scale and an additional question on their satisfaction with surgery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 33 patients were operated by a single surgeon (MI) between 1997 and 2010 at the Neurosurgery Department of Istanbul School of Medicine. Three of these patients refused to participate and three other patients were excluded, leaving 27 patients, with an average follow-up of 79,6 months, for review. The most common cause of traumatic brachial plexus injuries (TBPI) was motor vehicle accidents. Fourteen patients had isolated supraclavicular injuries and three patients had infraclavicular injuries. The remaining 10 patients' injuries were both supra- and infraclavicular. Avulsion was encountered in three patients. The patients who were operated within the first six months after trauma represented significantly better scores in DASH, SF-36 and pain scale.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Statistically validated tests like DASH and SF-36 questionnaires are valuable tools for evaluating TBPI patients. Centers specialized in treating TBPI with surgery may use these tests pre- and postoperatively which lead to objective personalized evaluation of patients' subjective symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, İstanbul University İstanbul Faculty of Medicine, İstanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Yavuz
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Aras
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, İstanbul University İstanbul Faculty of Medicine, İstanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Aydın
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aydoseli
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, İstanbul University İstanbul Faculty of Medicine, İstanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Pulat Akın
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Sabancı
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, İstanbul University İstanbul Faculty of Medicine, İstanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mehmet Osman
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Akçakaya
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, İstanbul University İstanbul Faculty of Medicine, İstanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Görkem
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Alkır
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, İstanbul University İstanbul Faculty of Medicine, İstanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Imer
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001917:Brachial Plexus / Q000293:injuries / Q000601:surgery*; D020516:Brachial Plexus Neuropathies / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures; D020127:Recovery of Function; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires