Procedures

Brachial plexus is a network of 5 nerves that emerge from the spinal cord in the neck on both sides and supply the muscles of the upper limb.

Injuries to the brachial plexus are increasingly common in road traffic accidents. The most common cause is fall from two-wheeler. Most accident victims are male in the age group of 18-35 years. These injuries are notorious because it causes paralysis of the affected upper limb. This affects the learning and earning capabilities of the victims.

The brachial plexus can be injured even in a newborn during normal delivery when baby is large, and force needs to be applied. This also leads to varying degrees of paralysis in affected upper limb. Majority of the cases may recover spontaneously but few cases require surgical treatment.

There is a ray of hope for all victims who have lost functions in their upper limbs due to internal nerve damage. Nerve reconstruction surgery offers the only hope of restoration of some of the lost functions in cases where spontaneous recovery does not occur. Results are always better when surgery is performed at an earlier stage.