title: The use of the phrenic nerve communicating branch to the fifth cervical root for nerve transfer to the suprascapular nerve in infants with obstetric brachial plexus palsy.
abstract: Traditionally, suprascapular nerve reconstruction in obstetric brachial plexus palsy is done using either the proximal C5 root stump or the spinal accessory nerve. This paper introduces another potential donor nerve for neurotizing the suprascapular nerve: the phrenic nerve communicating branch to the C5 root. The prevalence of this communicating branch ranges from 23% to 62% in various anatomical dissections. Over the last two decades, the phrenic communicating branch was used to reconstruct the suprascapular nerve in 15 infants. Another 15 infants in whom the accessory nerve was used to reconstruct the suprascapular nerve were selected to match the former 15 cases with regard to age at the time of surgery, type of palsy, and number of avulsed roots. The results showed that there is no significant difference between the two groups with regard to recovery of external rotation of the shoulder. It was concluded that the phrenic nerve communicating branch may be considered as another option to neurotize the suprascapular nerve.
authors.affiliation: The Division of Plastic Surgery and Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, King Saud University, P.O. Box 18097, Riyadh 11415, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Al-Qattan
authors.affiliation: The Division of Plastic Surgery and Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, King Saud University, P.O. Box 18097, Riyadh 11415, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: A A F
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: El-Sayed
mesh_terms: D020516:Brachial Plexus Neuropathies / Q000601:surgery*; D002572:Cervical Plexus / Q000601:surgery*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016067:Nerve Transfer / Q000379:methods*; D010791:Phrenic Nerve / Q000601:surgery*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D019051:Rhizotomy / Q000379:methods*; D012782:Shoulder / Q000294:innervation* / Q000601:surgery; D016896:Treatment Outcome