scholarly journals First Study of the Prevalence and Characterization of Brachial Plexus Injuries in Guatemala

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (01) ◽  
pp. e46-e50
Author(s):  
Carmen Joanna González Lemus ◽  
Fernando Xavier Romero Prieto

Abstract Objective This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of brachial plexus injuries and to characterize clinically and epidemiologically patients with brachial plexus injury. Materials and Methods In this cross-sectional descriptive study, 2,923 medical records of patients aged 1 to 64 years who presented at outpatient peripheral nerve unit of the Orthopedic Surgery Department of Hospital Roosevelt, Guatemala, from January 2017 to December 2017, were prospectively analyzed to identify the prevalence and factors associated with brachial plexus injuries. Results The prevalence rate of brachial plexus injuries in patients was 5.74%. This injury is more common in men (90.5%) aged 24 to 64 years. Brachial plexus injuries occurred secondary to motorcycle accident in 72% of the cases, with the majority affecting the dominant upper extremity. In addition, 64.28% of the patients took 1 to 6 months to seek consultation, whereas only 16.07% requested medical assistance <1 month from the onset of symptoms, and this result was associated with early diagnosis and adequate recovery during follow-up. Furthermore, 66.67% presented upper brachial plexus injury with no associated fractures or vascular injury, manifesting distress while performing daily activities that required hand, arm, and elbow movements. Conclusion The risk of suffering BPIs in Guatemala increases in economically active male patients that use motorcycles as main mode of transportation. Patients should consult immediately after injury onset to optimize management results. For this reason, hospitals must develop specialized clinical guidelines to speed up the identification and treatment of BPI injuries.

2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (03) ◽  
pp. 283-288
Author(s):  
Yusuke Nagano ◽  
Daisuke Kawamura ◽  
Alaa Terkawi ◽  
Atsushi Urita ◽  
Yuichiro Matsui ◽  
...  

Background: Partial ulnar nerve transfer to the biceps motor branch of the musculocutaneous nerve (Oberlin’s transfer) is a successful approach to restore elbow flexion in patients with upper brachial plexus injury (BPI). However, there is no report on more than 10 years subjective and objective outcomes. The purpose of this study was to clarify the long-term outcomes of Oberlin’s transfer based on the objective evaluation of elbow flexion strength and subjective functional evaluation of patients. Methods: Six patients with BPI who underwent Oberlin’s transfer were reviewed retrospectively by their medical records. The mean age at surgery was 29.5 years, and the mean follow-up duration was 13 years. The objective functional outcomes were evaluated by biceps muscle strength using the Medical Research Council (MRC) grade at preoperative, postoperative, and final follow-up. The patient-derived subjective functional outcomes were evaluated using the Quick Disability of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (QuickDASH) questionnaire at final follow-up. Results: All patients had MRC grade 0 (M0) or 1 (M1) elbow flexion strength before operation. Four patients gained M4 postoperatively and maintained or increased muscle strength at the final follow-up. One patient gained M3 postoperatively and at the final follow-up. Although one patient achieved M4 postoperatively, the strength was reduced to M2 due to additional disorder. The mean score of QuickDASH was 36.5 (range, 7–71). Patients were divided into two groups; three patients had lower scores and the other three patients had higher scores of QuickDASH. Conclusions: Oberlin’s transfer is effective in the restoration of elbow flexion and can maintain the strength for more than 10 years. Patients with upper BPI with restored elbow flexion strength and no complicated nerve disorders have over ten-year subjective satisfaction.


2013 ◽  
Vol 750-752 ◽  
pp. 1987-1991
Author(s):  
Jian Hua Yang ◽  
Xing Jian Ma ◽  
Lu Fei Rong ◽  
Bo Liu ◽  
Jia Yan Yu ◽  
...  

The characterization of surface wear resistance of materials usually relies on the measurement of slight wear. There are two obvious shortcomings for weighing method. In order to improve the measurement accuracy, a more intuitive and reliable method for quantitative measurement of slight wear, interference microscope method, has be given. Higher accuracy (the order of micrometer) can be achieved using the interferometry for the measurement of slight wear. The results show that the masking processing technology can ensure that all samples for wear testing and other analysis are obtained under the same pretreatment conditions and vacuum processing conditions, speed up the commercialization of processing technology, and comparing the cross-sectional areas of wear scars is a correct way to characterize the wear resistance of different zones.


2016 ◽  
Vol 74 (11) ◽  
pp. 895-901 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcus V. B. Santana ◽  
Mauro T. Bina ◽  
Matheus G. Paz ◽  
Scheila N. Santos ◽  
Manoel J. Teixeira ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Objective To describe the pain profile of patients with traumatic brachial plexus injury. Methods We enrolled 65 patients with traumatic brachial plexus injury. The Douleur Neuropathique 4 questionnaire was used to classify pain and the SF-36 was used to evaluate quality of life. Results The patients with traumatic brachial plexus injury were predominantly young male victims of motorcycle accidents. Pain was present in 75.4% of the individuals and 79% presented with neuropathic pain, mostly located in the hands (30.41%). The use of auxiliary devices (p = 0.05) and marital status (p = 0.03) were both independent predictors of pain. Pain also impacted negatively on the quality of life (p = 0.001). Conclusions Pain is frequent in patients with traumatic brachial plexus injury. Despite the peripheral nervous system injury, nociceptive pain is not unusual. Pain evaluation, including validated instruments, is essential to guide optimal clinical management of patients with the condition.


2017 ◽  
Vol 105 ◽  
pp. 623-631 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olga Gutkowska ◽  
Jacek Martynkiewicz ◽  
Sylwia Mizia ◽  
Michał Bąk ◽  
Jerzy Gosk

Author(s):  
Andreia Gushikem ◽  
Márcio de Mendonça Cardoso ◽  
Ana Lúcia Lima Cabral ◽  
Camila Sodré Mendes Barros ◽  
Herilckmans Belnis Tonha Moreira Isidro ◽  
...  

2014 ◽  
Vol 39 (8) ◽  
pp. 868-875 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Gilbert ◽  
S. Valbuena ◽  
C. Posso

We reviewed late functional results of a modified Steindler procedure in patients with obstetrical brachial plexus palsy and poor active elbow flexion. From 1982 to 2005, we reviewed final functional results and complications of 27 cases with flexion weakness of the elbow secondary to obstetrical brachial plexus injury, treated with a modified Steindler procedure. At the end of the follow-up, the mean active elbow flexion was 97° and the mean extensor lag was 10°. In the long-term follow-up, the modified Steindler procedure maintained good results in 67% of the cases in our series, and this percentage raised by 82% when the wrist extensor was present or restored before the Steindler procedure. There were poor results in 19% of the patients, but no major complications.


2012 ◽  
Vol 117 (3) ◽  
pp. 610-614 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pavel Haninec ◽  
Radek Kaiser

Object Nerve repair using motor fascicles of a different nerve was first described for the repair of elbow flexion (Oberlin technique). In this paper, the authors describe their experience with a similar method for axillary nerve reconstruction in cases of upper brachial plexus palsy. Methods Of 791 nerve reconstructions performed by the senior author (P.H.) between 1993 and 2011 in 441 patients with brachial plexus injury, 14 involved axillary nerve repair by fascicle transfer from the ulnar or median nerve. All 14 of these procedures were performed between 2007 and 2010. This technique was used only when there was a deficit of the thoracodorsal or long thoracic nerve, which are normally used as donors. Results Nine patients were followed up for 24 months or longer. Good recovery of deltoid muscle strength was seen in 7 (77.8%) of these 9 patients, and in 4 patients with less follow-up (14–23 months), for an overall success rate of 78.6%. The procedure was unsuccessful in 2 of the 9 patients with at least 24 months of follow-up. The first showed no signs of reinnervation of the axillary nerve by either clinical or electromyographic evaluation in 26 months of follow-up, and the second had Medical Research Council (MRC) Grade 2 strength in the deltoid muscle 36 months after the operation. The last of the group of 14 patients has had 12 months of follow-up and is showing progressive improvement of deltoid muscle function (MRC Grade 2). Conclusions The authors conclude that fascicle transfer from the ulnar or median nerve onto the axillary nerve is a safe and effective method for reconstruction of the axillary nerve in patients with upper brachial plexus injury.


2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (10) ◽  
pp. 1214-1220
Author(s):  
Faheem Ahmed Memon ◽  
Mehtab Pirwani ◽  
Abbas Memon

Objectives: Our experience by dynamic condylar screw in the treatment ofsupracondylar femur fracture, which is quite a long time, has stayed challengeable issue inorthopedic surgery, at LUH. Study Design: An observational cross sectional study. Setting:Orthopedic Surgery Department, Liaquat University. Methodology: Cases along both sexeswith additional articular fractures, conceded inside of 2-3 days were incorporate and caseshaving open epiphysis, open fracture, pathological and intra articular fractures were not a pieceof this study. Hospital stay average was 18 days. Follow up was done of every one of thePatients after each third week for two only visits, then every 6th week for about 6 months. Allthe data were recorded on particularly outlined proforma. Results: In this study 19(63.3%) maleand 11 female (36.6%) patients. Mean age was found 35yrs. Commonest cause of injury wasRTA in 80% patients. 65% patients got injury to left lower limb while 35% to right lower limb. Therewere only two infections i.e. the infection rate was 6.66%. Union rate was 93.3% and nonunionrate was 3.3% and there was only one mal union i.e. mal union rate was 3.3% .Bone grafting wasdone in 21 patients. The overall good to excellent results were in 84% cases and fair to poor in16% cases. Conclusions: DCS gives solid fractures fixation after decrease and makes postoperativerecovery simple, so in light of patient’s financial state in Pakistan. DCS is perfect insertfor distal femoral exceptionally for these fractures.


2018 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Azrul Bin Abdul Rashid ◽  
Kamarul Ariffin Khalid ◽  
Raffael Ismail

Introduction:  Neurotization procedures to the elbow flexors are commonly done in traumatic brachial plexus injury (BPI). The objective of this study was to evaluate the recovery of elbow flexors in patients who underwent neurotization procedure to musculocutaneous nerve in the panplexus and upper trunk BPI. Materials and Methods: This was a cross sectional study involving 70 patients who underwent neurotization to elbow flexor. A total of 31 patients (44%) had panplexus injury and 39 (56%) had upper trunk BPI. Elbow flexor motor power and post-operative Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) score were evaluated. Results:  The mean age of the patients was 22.7 years. Patients with panplexus BPI underwent neurotization to the elbow flexor using spinal accessory nerve as a donor and patients with upper trunk BPI used either ulnar or median nerve as a donor. The results of elbow flexors recovery in panplexus BPI were good (MRC grade 4 and 5) in 11 patients (35.5%) and poor in 20 patients (64.5%). Conversely, the recovery of elbow flexors in upper trunk BPI were better with 28 patients (71.8%). Good post-operative DASH score (score <50 points) were noted in 29 patients (74.4%) with upper trunk BPI. Only seven patients (22.6%) with panplexus BPI showed good post-operative DASH score. Majority of patients with panplexus BPI demonstrated poor recovery of elbow flexor and post-operative DASH score as compare to upper trunk BPI (p= 0.002). Conclusion:  Overall, this study showed significantly better functional outcome of neurotization procedure to elbow flexor in upper trunk BPI than in panplexus BPI.


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