What is Brachial Plexus Injury?

Contents

Brachial Plexus Injury: Introduction
Types of Brachial Plexus Injury
Prognosis
Other names for Brachial Plexus Injury
What causes Brachial Plexus Injury?
What are the symptoms of Brachial Plexus Injury?
Organs Affected by Brachial Plexus Injury
How is it treated?
Brachial Plexus Injury: Introduction

What is Brachial Plexus Injury?

Brachial Plexus Injury: Damage to the nerves controlling the shoulder and arm (often from childbirth).

Brachial Plexus Injury is listed as a "rare disease" by the Office of Rare Diseases (ORD) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This means that Brachial Plexus Injury, or a subtype of Brachial Plexus Injury, affects less than 200,000 people in the US population.
Source - National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Brachial Plexus Injury: Introduction

Types of Brachial Plexus Injury:

Types of Brachial Plexus Injury:

Neuropraxia Brachial Plexus Injury - (Stretch Brachial Plexus Injury) most common; nerve damaged but not torn.
Avulsion Brachial Plexus Injury - most severe; nerve torn from the spine
Rupture Brachial Plexus Injury - nerve torn but not at the spine
Neuroma Brachial Plexus Injury - nerve has partially healed with scar tissue damage.
more types...»

Broader types of Brachial Plexus Injury:

How serious is Brachial Plexus Injury?

Prognosis of Brachial Plexus Injury: Good for neuropraxia (90-100% recovery); avulsion and rupture require prompt surgery for recovery.
Prognosis of Brachial Plexus Injury: The site and type of brachial plexus injury determine the prognosis. For avulsion and rupture injuries there is no potential for recovery unless surgical reconnection is made in a timely manner. For neuroma and neuropraxia injuries the potential for recovery varies. Most patients with neuropraxia injuries recover spontaneously with a 90-100% return of function. (Source: excerpt from NINDS Brachial Plexus Injuries Information Page: NINDS)