Brachial-plexus injury after clavicular fracture: case report and literature review

Abstract

Brachial plexus injury is a rare complication of the fractured clavicle. The authors describe the second reported case of brachial plexus injury due to secondary fracture displacement. This case emphasizes the following points: the neurologic status of the arm after a fracture of the clavicle must be documented; fractures of the middle one-third of the clavicle are prone to displacement; patients should be advised to report immediately any new symptoms in the arm; when fracture displacement is the cause of brachial-plexus compression then a trial of conservative therapy is indicated; the prognosis for neurologic recovery after this injury is good.