BRACHIAL PLEXUS INJURIES

Course overview

THE EARLIEST WRITTEN DESCRIPTION OF A BRACHIAL PLEXUS INJURY (BPI) IS ATTRIBUTED TO HOMER CIRCA 800 BC IN HIS DEPICTION OF A BATTLE DURING WHICH HECTOR STRUCK TEUCER OVER THE CLAVICLE WITH A ROCK, RENDERING HIM INCAPABLE OF WIELDING HIS BOW IN THE ILIAD. IN THE SIMPLEST TERMS, THE BRACHIAL PLEXUS CAN BE THOUGHT OF AS 5 NERVE ROOTS (C5 THROUGH T1), WHICH ORIGINATE IN THE POSTERIOR TRIANGLE OF THE NECK AND EXTEND INTO THE AXILLA AND TERMINATE IN FIVE NERVES: MUSCULOCUTANEOUS, AXILLARY, RADIAL, MEDIAN, AND ULNAR. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE PATHOPHYSIOLOGY, CAUSES, PRESENTATION AND DIAGNOSIS OF BRACHIAL PLEXUS INJURIES AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN ITS MANAGEMENT.