Discussions About Obstetric Brachial Plexus Injuries

Abstract

Although patients with obstetric brachial plexus injuries (OBPI) have been recognized and treated for greater than 100 years there is much that is not understood or is mis-understood. I address 6 areas for discussion: the cause of OBPI and whether it matters to nerve surgeons; the value of the Narakas grading; whether surgeons should perform primary nerve surgery, especially in patients with incomplete OBPI; the cause and treatment of shoulder tightness; the cause and treatment of elbow contracture; and whether patients with OBPI need surgery in adulthood.

Keywords: Elbow; Grading; Hand; Mechanism of injury; Nonsurgical treatment; Obstetric brachial plexus injuries; Shoulder; Surgery.